A Kamaka Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan has crashed on takeoff in Honolulu, Hawaii during an instructional flight, resulting in the deaths of both pilots on 17 December 2024.
Kamaka Air Cessna 208B, registered N689KA had conducted a takeoff from runway 04L Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). The aircraft, operating as Kamaka Air flight 689, was conducting a training flight to Lanai Airport.
Honolulu Crash After Takeoff
After takeoff, air traffic control had expected the aircraft to make a right-hand turn. Instead, the aircraft was observed in the bank to the left. According to the Aviation Safety Network, air traffic control noted the unexpected left-hand bank and questioned with the operating crew.
Tower: “Kamaka Flight 689, you’re turning right, correct?”
Crew: “Kamaka 689, we are, we have, uh, we’re out of control here.”
Tower: “Okay, Kamaka 689, if you can land, if you can level it off, that’s fine. Any runway, any place you can do.”
The angle of bank progressively steepened, before the single-engine turboprop aircraft then crashed into an abandoned building in an industrial area inthe vicinity of the airport.
Emergency responders including Honolulu Fire Department and Honolulu Police Department attended the crash scene. They confirmed that both pilots aboard the aircraft had died as a result of the crash.
Kamaka Air
The Chief Executive Officer of Kamaka Air, David Hinderland, issued a statement following the tragedy.
“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 near the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. We are not releasing the names of the pilots until family members have had a chance to process this tragedy, and we hope the media will give them the same consideration.”
Kamaka Air is a cargo airline based in Honolulu, Hawaii. It provides freight delivery services for both individuals and businesses within the Hawaiian Islands. The airline operates regularly scheduled cargo flights as well as on-demand charter services.
The aircraft conducting the training operation to Lanai airport was a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, registered N689KA. The single-engine turboprop aircraft was manufactured in 2011.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the cause of the accident.
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