Two pilots were killed when a small plane crashed into an abandoned building near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Tuesday afternoon, unleashing flames and black smoke.
A Kamaka Air Cessna 208 was conducting a training flight when it crashed into the building around 3:15 p.m. local time Tuesday, Ed Sniffen, the director of Hawaii’s Department of Transportation, told reporters.
“It’s not a charter flight; it was a training flight,” Sniffen said. “Two souls were on board. Both perished.”
The building, owned by the Transportation Department, was vacant.
Sniffen noted that the pilots, according to witnesses, avoided “quite a bit of structures, including our fuel farm, to minimize the impacts.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash.
Audio transmissions from Kamaka Air 689 revealed the air traffic control tower asked, “You’re turning right, correct?” And a pilot on board responded, “We’re out of control here,” NBC affiliate KHNL reported.
Witnesses reported seeing the small plane flying low, then hearing a loud boom, followed by plumes of smoke.
“I was sitting at my desk, and all of a sudden, I saw a small plane fly past my office window, which is on the seventh floor. And I went, ‘Oh, he’s really, really low,’ and he started banking and going back towards the airport, and then I heard a loud bang,” witness Nancy Timko told KHNL.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the exterior part of the building. Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao said the Cessna had hit an exterior stairwell area. He said the debris field was no more than 50 feet.
Kamaka Air said in a statement Tuesday: “It is with heavy hearts that Kamaka Air confirms the loss of two members of the Kamaka Air family in an accident at 3:13 this afternoon.”
The company, which conducts air cargo flights and charter services, did not disclose the names of the pilots.
Airport facilities were operational after the crash, but Ualena and Aolele streets near the wreckage were closed.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a statement: “Jaime’s and my hearts go out to the pilot and passenger and their families as well as to all who have experienced this traumatic event.”
“Our Department of Transportation team will provide all necessary support to federal officials, whose job it will be to investigate this incident and determine a cause, which may not be known for some time,” he added.
Sniffen said the building hit in the crash had been scheduled for demolishment before the crash, and it will be demolished soon.
