Hawaii Aviation

Federal investigators have determined that a cargo plane crashed into the ocean near Hawaii in 2021 after pilots misidentified the failing engine and were unable to generate sufficient power to keep the aircraft airborne.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited multiple contributing factors, including the captain’s excessive workload and ineffective communication between the two pilots. The crash resulted in serious injuries for the captain and minor injuries for the co-pilot, while the aircraft was completely destroyed. The plane, owned by Rhoades Aviation, was operating as a TransAir cargo flight at the time of the incident.

The Boeing 737, a 46-year-old aircraft, was scheduled to complete an early morning flight from Honolulu to Kahului, Hawaii, on July 2, 2021. However, the aircraft ultimately ended up in Mamala Bay, approximately five miles from Honolulu’s airport.

According to the investigation, the captain stated that both engines started normally, and all indicators appeared to be functioning before takeoff. While the plane was climbing, the cockpit voice recorder picked up a thudding noise, followed by vibrations. Although both pilots acknowledged a loss of power in the right engine, they mistakenly reduced thrust to the fully operational left engine, bringing it down to near idle levels, the NTSB reported.

The captain, who was 58 years old at the time, had accumulated more than 15,000 hours of flight experience, while the co-pilot had logged over 5,000 hours

Reference

1. Associated Press. (June 16, 2023) Pilot’s confusion caused 2021 cargo plane crash off Hawaii, NTSB says. Star Advertiser. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/06/16/breaking-news/pilots-confusion-caused-2021-cargo-plane-crash-off-hawaii-ntsb-says/