HONOLULU (AP) — A Kamaka Air cargo plane crashed into a vacant building near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Tuesday afternoon, killing both people aboard after the pilot reported losing control of the aircraft.
The Cessna 208 Caravan, conducting a training flight, went down around 3:05 p.m. on Aolele Street, striking a state-owned building that was scheduled for demolition, according to state officials. Multiple first responder agencies, including the Honolulu Fire Department and Police Department, rushed to the scene.
Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot’s final moments: “We’re out of control here,” the crew of Kamaka Flight 689 reported. Controllers responded by clearing them to attempt an emergency landing on any available runway, saying, “If you can land, if you can level it off, that’s fine. Any runway, any place you can do.”
“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 Timco told Hawaii News Now. Another witness reported hearing “one big boom” followed by clouds of smoke.
Kamaka Air CEO David Hinderland confirmed the deaths of “two members of the Kamaka Air family” but withheld their identities pending family notification. The company, founded in 1993, operates inter-island cargo services in Hawaii.
“We are making ourselves available to the Hawaiian Department of Transportation, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration for investigation into this accident,” Hinderland said in a statement.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi expressed condolences to the victims’ families, noting that the incident “reminds us of the dedication and risks taken by those who help keep Hawai’i’s essential goods moving.”
State transportation officials said the pilot made adjustments to minimize impact before the crash. Airport operations continued normally, though nearby Ualena and Aolele streets were closed for several hours as investigators began their work.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash, which could take several months to complete. The state Department of Transportation pledged to provide all necessary support to federal officials during the investigation.
Support services are available through Aloha United Way for those affected by the incident.
