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The Kamaka Air-operated plane went out of control during a training flight and crashed into a vacant building, killing two pilots aboard.
Dash cam footage showed the plane flying out of control at a low altitude before crashing. (Photo: X)
Two people were killed in a tragic plane crash near the Daniel K Inouye International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, as chilling visuals of the aircraft losing control over a highway went viral on social media.
The flight was a Kamaka Air Cessna 208 Caravan plane that was conducting a training flight when it suddenly went out of control and crashed into a building, according to Hawaii News Now. Fortunately, the building was vacant during the time of the crash and was slated for demolition.
Two pilots were on board when the plane crashed, and neither of them managed to survive. The crash prompted an immediate response from the Honolulu Fire Department, the Honolulu Police Department, and the City’s Department of Emergency Management.
Visuals on social media showed the plane out of control flying at a low altitude before its impending crash. Another video showed the wreckage of the plane on fire with a large plume of smoke. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into the crash.
Pilot’s Final Moments Heard
A witness who works in the area told Hawaii News Now that he heard a loud crash and saw a plane on fire. “I was working and all of a sudden had a loud, one big boom, and I looked out and there was just some freaking clouds of smoke and my coworkers told me a plane crashed right next to our building,” he said.
The deceased pilots have not been identified by officials, but sources close to the family identified one of the victims as Hiram Defries, a trainee pilot in his 20s. The final moments of the pilot were caught on the audio transmissions from Kamaka Air 689.
“We’re out of control here,” the pilot told the control tower. The tower replied, “Kamaka Flight 689, you’re turning right, correct?”. When the pilot confirmed that the plane was out of control, the control tower urged the pilot to land on any available runway as possible.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi expressed their condolences over the death of two pilots in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board has also launched an investigation into the crash.
Founded in 1993, the Hawaii-based Kamaka Air operates as an inter-
island
airline and logistics company that provides air cargo services such as charter service and per-pound service.
