The pilot of a small Beech 77 airplane reported “a lack of power” just moments before crashing at the edge of Lihue Airport Dec. 15, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The pilot suffered serious injuries in the crash and his passenger was treated for minor injuries.

An official with the Kauai Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser at the time that the pilot was accompanied by his son and is a member of the Civil Air Patrol, but that the plane was not a CAP aircraft.

According to the NTSB report, the general aviation flight was departing from Runway 21 at the Kauai airport just after noon Dec. 15, and as it began to climb the pilot reported a lack of power to the control tower. The airplane was observed descending into a fence at the edge of the airport property and came to rest just past the fence and in a storage yard, the report said.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and its fuselage. The crash did not affect air traffic in and out of the airport.

The NTSB said an examination of the engine is pending as its investigation continues.

The Kauai air accident happened just hours before a Hawaii Life Flight aircraft flying from Kahului Airport to Waimea-Kohala Airport crashed into the ocean off Kaupo, Maui, killing all three crew members aboard.