On the evening of October 15 the flight left Honolulu on a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser Clipper named Sovereign Of The Skies (Pan Am fleet number 943, registered N90943).

There was a violent thud as the drive shaft broke and the propeller continued to windmill in the air stream, causing drag that increased the fuel consumption.

[1] With the flaps down to reduce speed and the extra drag of the windmilling propeller, the plane was forced to fly more slowly, below 150 knots (170 mph; 280 km/h), and lost altitude at the rate of 1,000 feet per minute (5.1 m/s).

The crew calculated the added drag left them with insufficient fuel to reach San Francisco or to return to Honolulu.

[4] Captain Ogg elected to remain aloft until dawn to increase the chances of ditching successfully.

[5] Captain Ogg had decided to wait for daylight, since it was important to keep the wings level with the ocean swells at the ditching impact.

That would be easier to achieve in full sunlight, improving the odds that passengers could be rescued, but he became concerned that the ocean waves were beginning to rise.

Delaying the ditching also ensured that more fuel would be consumed, making the plane lighter so it would float longer and minimizing the risk of fire in the event of a crash landing.

The cutter laid out a foam path for a best ditch heading of 315 degrees, to aid the captain to judge his height above the water.

After a dry run the plane touched down at 6:15 a.m., at 90 knots (100 mph; 170 km/h) with full flaps and landing gear retracted, in sight of the Pontchartrain at 30°02′N 140°09′W.

[7] A ten-minute film was later produced, including a re-enacted recording of the radio conversation between the pilot and the Coast Guard.

[8] Pilot Richard Ogg was the first recipient of the Civilian Airmanship Awards presented by the Order of Daedalians.