A plane crashed into a building near Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, killing at least 2 people on Monday.
The incident occurred around 3.05 pm on Aolele Street when a Kamaka Air Cessna 208 Caravan, conducting a training flight, crashed into a state-owned building, as reported by Hawaii News Now. Kamaka Air confirmed the loss of two crew members.
First responders, including the Honolulu fire department and Honolulu police department, quickly arrived at the scene. A witness working nearby told Hawaii News Now, “I heard a loud, one big boom, and I looked out and there was just some freaking clouds of smoke.”
The building was unoccupied and scheduled for demolition. Both individuals on board the aircraft were killed.
The pilot of Kamaka Flight 689 informed the control tower that they lost control of the aircraft. According to radio transmissions, the pilot said, “We’re out of control here.” In response, the tower instructed, “If you can land, if you can level it off, that’s fine. Any runway, any place you can do.” These were the final messages exchanged with the pilot before the crash.
Nancy Timco, who works down the street, told Hawaii News Now that she saw the plane flying unusually low past her office window. “I saw a small plane fly past my office window… and I went, ‘Oh, he’s really, really low.’ Then I heard a loud bang.”
Governor Josh Green and Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi both offered condolences, with Blangiardi calling the crash a “tragic” event. The Federal aviation administration (FAA) will investigate the cause of the crash.
Kamaka Air has been operating since 1993 and provides inter-island air services, including cargo and charter flights. The airline’s CEO, David Hinderland, expressed his sorrow, saying, “It is with heavy hearts that Kamaka Air confirms the loss of two members of the Kamaka Air family.”