2 people die when small plane crashes near Honolulu airport
Two people died after a single-turboprop Cessna Caravan plane crashed into an abandoned building near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu this afternoon, according to the state Department of Transportation.
DOT Director Ed Sniffen said the Kamaka Air training flight had two people aboard and crashed soon after taking off from the airport’s Runway 4-Left.
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Officials did not immediately release the identities or ages of the victims.
The flight has been identified as Kamaka Air flight 689. The plane departed the Honolulu airport at 3:15 p.m. headed for Lanai Airport but never reached its destination, according to FlightAware.
Honolulu emergency responders arrived soon after the crash and confirmed that the two people aboard were dead, officials said.
The abandoned building is scheduled to be demolished, according to Sniffen, and no one was inside at the time of the crash.
Sniffen called the incident an “absolute tragedy” but he said it could have been “much, much worse” because the pilot appeared to have made several adjustments to “minimize impacts.” Sniffen said an airport fueling station was not far from the impact site.
He said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating.
This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available.
