WAILUKU >> The National Transportation Safety Board says the pilot of a plane that made an emergency landing in Waiehu reported the engine lost power.

Four people on the plane were uninjured when the Piper Cherokee landed near Waiehu Beach last month.

The Maui News reports NTSB’s preliminary report says the pilot told an investigator the plane was cruising at about 1,500 feet above sea level when he noticed a slight hesitation in the engine. The report says the engine lost power, forcing the pilot to land in an open area, hitting bushes and trees.

During an attempt to hoist it up, the plane spun wildly so a helicopter crew cut it loose over the water. The helicopter company was later able to lift the plane from the ocean.