Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

December 4, 2023 · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 · N691YW

Kapolei, HI

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
December 4, 2023
Injury Outcomes
2 injuries (1 serious injury, 1 minor injury)
Location
Kapolei, HI
Aircraft
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 (2006)
Tail Number
N691YW
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ANC24LA005

While enroute the pilot moved the throttle control lever forward and heard a “pop” sound come from the engine, followed by a rumbling noise and an airplane vibration. The pilot pulled the throttle back to its original position in an attempt to stop the rumbling and vibrations and turned the airplane back toward the runway for an emergency landing. Engine power was not restored, and the airplane began to lose altitude, so the pilot performed a forced landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination revealed that baffling from the exhaust muffler had broken loose, blocking about 3/4 of the opening. The blocked exhaust reduced the volumetric efficiency of the engine cylinders, resulting in the partial loss of engine power.

NTSB Probable Cause

A partial loss of engine power due to lose baffling from the muffler, which resulted in an obstruction of the exhaust system.

Full Narrative

On December 04, 2023, about 1250 Hawaii-Aleutian standard time, a Diamond DA-40 airplane, N691YW, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Kapolei, Hawaii. The pilot sustained minor injuries, and the designated pilot examiner sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight test. The pilot reported that an engine run-up inspection was completed without any issues of concern before departure. They departed from Danial K Inouye International Airport (PHNL) Honolulu, Hawaii, about 1235. After departure they leveled off at 1,500 ft mean sea level and proceeded to the practice area to conduct an evaluation for an airplane instrument rating. The pilot configured the airplane for the first maneuver. When he moved the throttle control lever forward, they heard a “pop” sound come from the engine, followed by a rumbling noise and an airplane vibration. The pilot pulled the throttle back to its original position in an attempt to stop the rumbling and vibrations and turned the airplane back toward runway 11 at Kalaeloa Airport (PHJR), Kapolei, Hawaii, for an emergency landing. They scanned the ignition, control levers, fuel selector, and multi-function display. The pilot confirmed that the mixture control lever was full forward, the propeller control lever was full forward, and the throttle control lever was about 3/4 full forward. The ignition was positioned on "BOTH", the fuel selector knob was positioned directly over the right tank, and the multi-function display showed no discrepancies in engine instrument readings that would indicate a need for immediate corrective action. The airplane started a descent without any manual pitch adjustments. They increased the throttle lever to the full forward position, but this did not provide any additional thrust from the engine. They declared an emergency; the designated pilot examiner took the flight controls, and they began to look for a suitable area for a forced landing. They performed a forced landing to a flat area of land that was covered with dirt. After initial touchdown, the airplane continued to roll straight down the dirt path until it impacted a dirt hill, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. A postaccident examination conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic revealed no internal failure of the engine. The fuel injection servo control was in the full throttle position and the mixture control was in the full rich position; neither cable could be moved in the cockpit due to impact damage. The fuel injection servo was removed for inspection, and it revealed that the throttle/butterfly did not move and was in the full-throttle position. The valve covers and lower sparkplugs were removed; no anomalies were noted. No obstructions were observed in the fuel system. The air filter was removed with no obstruction observed. Internal baffling in the exhaust muffler had broken loose and had blocked about 3/4 of the opening. The last 100-hour inspection was completed on November 15, 2023, with the engine total time of 2,290.5 hours

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:50 HST
Nearest AirportKalaeloa (John Rodgers Field) (2.1nm NW)
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
Tail NumberN691YW
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-360-M1A+ · Reciprocating · 180
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury Summary2 injuries (1 serious injury, 1 minor injury)
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor1
Uninjured0
Total2
Crew 1Age 25 · Third Class · Minor
Crew 2Age 77 · Second Class · Serious

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point66 F
Altimeter30.05 inHg
Observation Time11:53
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data