Two pilots perished Tuesday when their Kamaka Air Cessna 208 crashed into a vacant building near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu during a training flight. The incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. local time, sending flames and black smoke into the air.
Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen confirmed the fatalities, noting witnesses reported the pilots appeared to maneuver away from critical infrastructure, including a fuel farm, before impact. Air traffic control recordings captured the pilots’ final moments, with one stating “We’re out of control here” after being questioned about their flight path.
Witness Nancy Timko described seeing the aircraft flying unusually low past her seventh-floor office window before banking toward the airport, followed by a loud bang. Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao reported the Cessna struck an exterior stairwell area, with debris contained within a 50-foot radius.
Kamaka Air acknowledged the loss of “two members of the Kamaka Air family” but withheld the victims’ names. The company provides air cargo and charter services in Hawaii. The crash site building, already scheduled for demolition, was owned by the Department of Transportation and unoccupied at the time.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green extended condolences to the victims’ families while promising full support for federal investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have launched investigations into the crash’s cause. Airport operations continued despite the incident, though nearby streets were closed.
