Hawaii Aviation

2025

• On March 27, 2025, at noon, the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) responded to a 911 call regarding an aircraft crash near the Royal Kunia Country Club on Anonui Street. Fourteen units, comprising about 50 personnel, were dispatched, with the first arriving on scene at 12:08 p.m. A small Piper Cherokee had landed in the bushes, but was not on fire, and both occupants—a 38-year-old and a 22-year-old—were able to exit the aircraft on their own. HFD took command of the situation and airlifted them via Air 1 to a designated landing zone. Emergency Medical Services took over their care at 12:37 p.m., with one individual declining treatment and the other transported in stable condition.

2024

• Dec
  • A tragic accident occurred near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Tuesday afternoon when a Kamaka Air Cessna 208 Caravan, conducting a training flight, crashed into a vacant state-owned building on Aolele Street around 3:05 p.m. The building, which was scheduled for demolition, was struck before the aircraft impacted the ground. Sadly, both individuals on board lost their lives.

2023

• January
  • At approximately 16:10 Hawaii Standard Time, a runway incursion occurred at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, involving United Airlines flight 384 (UAL384), a Boeing 777-200, and Kamaka Air flight 145 (KMK145), a Cessna 208B. After landing on runway 4R, UAL384 inadvertently crossed runway 4L just as KMK145 was touching down on the same runway. The two aircraft came within 1,173 feet of each other, but thankfully, no injuries were reported among the 10 crew members and 291 passengers on UAL384 or the two flight crew members on KMK145. Neither aircraft sustained damage. UAL384 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 121, traveling from Denver International Airport to Honolulu, while KMK145 was a domestic cargo flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 135 from Lihue Airport to Honolulu. At the time of the incident, weather conditions were clear with good visibility.

2022

• December
  • Prior to departure, the captain of Hawaiian Airlines flight 35 contacted the flight dispatcher to discuss the flight release, receiving a warning about potential turbulence and embedded convective activity over the Hawaiian Islands. While cruising at flight level 400 in clear conditions above a cloud layer between FL370 and FL380, the crew observed a vertical cloud formation they described as a “plume” ahead of the aircraft. They promptly alerted the lead flight attendant about possible turbulence, but within seconds, the Airbus A330 was hit by severe turbulence, causing multiple injuries in the cabin. Data from the aircraft’s quick access recorder revealed vertical accelerations exceeding 2 Gs during the event. Despite the turbulence, the flight continued to its destination and landed without further complications.

2021

• July 2
  • Rhoades Aviation flight 810, operating as Transair flight 810, encountered an engine issue shortly after departing from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Boeing 737-200, registered as N810TA, was forced to ditch into Mamala Bay, approximately 5.5 miles southwest of the airport. While the aircraft was completely destroyed, the captain suffered serious injuries, and the first officer sustained minor injuries. The flight, classified under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, was a cargo operation scheduled to travel from Honolulu to Kahului International Airport in Kahului, Hawaii.
• Sep 23
  • Hawaiian Airlines flight 43, an Airbus A321neo, experienced a tailstrike while landing on runway 04R at Honolulu-Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii.

 

2020

• A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717-200, registered as N492HA, was operating flight HA-216 from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Kahului with 41 people on board. Shortly after takeoff from runway 08R, the crew halted the climb at 3,000 feet and issued a PAN PAN distress call due to an issue with the BR715 engine. The aircraft safely returned to Honolulu, landing on runway 08L approximately 16 minutes after departure.
• A tragic incident occurred on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, when a single-engine Cessna 305A crashed at a general aviation airport on Saturday morning. According to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor, the aircraft took off from Dillingham Airfield around 9:15 a.m. local time but, for reasons yet unknown, crashed and came to rest upside down, resulting in the deaths of both occupants.

 

2019

• June 21
  • At approximately 18:22 Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, a Beech King Air 65-A90 aircraft, registered as N256TA, crashed shortly after departing from Dillingham Airfield in Mokuleia, Hawaii. Tragically, the pilot and all ten passengers lost their lives, and the aircraft was completely destroyed in the impact.
• April
  • The pilot of an air tour helicopter that broke apart mid-flight over Kailua in April 2019, resulting in his death along with two passengers, should not have been flying that day. The individual who authorized him for the flight lacked the proper qualifications to make that decision.

 

2018

• Feb 13
  • United Flight 1175, enroute from San Francisco International Airport, California, to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, encountered a critical midair incident. During the flight, a fan blade separated, leading to the failure of the right engine’s inlet and fan cowls. The affected engine was a Pratt & Whitney PW4077.
• Sep 7
  • around 21:00 local time, bound for Honolulu, Hawaii. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of FL390 over the Pacific Ocean, the Airbus A330-200 encountered a hydraulic issue. As a precaution, the aircraft turned back toward Japan and was rerouted to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). An emergency landing was successfully executed at 22:38 local time, with no reported injuries among passengers or crew.

2017

• UH-60 Black Hawk crashes off the coast of Kaena Point.  Two pilots and three crew member went down with the chopper and were not found.
• Single engine aircraft goes down by the  mountainside by Kunia.  4 were pronounced dead.
• 1969 Beech 19A crashes in the mountains of Oahu and kills 4.  Coast guard helicopter finds wreckage morning after.

2016

• Hawaiian airlines makes emergency landing after e-cigarette burns two bags in cargo bay.
• 12 feared dead after two Sikorsky CH-52E Super Stallion helicopters collided with each other off the coast of Haleiwa.  No survivors were found.
• A single-engine Beechcraft Sundowner crashes 100 yards offshore Makaha Beach, Kauai.  Good Samaritans and lifeguards see the plane go down and rescue the two passengers.

2015

• Two marines were killed and twenty were injured when an MW-22 Osprey crashed during pre-deployment training.  Crash was caused by pilot performance and improper survey of the landing zone.
• An army Black Hawk crashes 2 miles northwest of Kaena Point during a night time training exercise .  5 missing, debris found.
• Two marines were killed and twenty were injured when an MW-22 Osprey crashed during pre-deployment training.  Crash was caused by pilot performance and improper survey of the landing zone.

2014

• August 01
  • A “Robinson R44” helicopter made a hard landing at HNL Taxilane 2, due to high winds. There were no injuries to the pilot and two passengers.
• A 15 year old boy stows away and survives in a Hawaiian airlines plane from California to Hawaii.  He positioned himself inside the small crevice of the wheel well of the plane.  Experts say they are astounded he survived.  No criminal charges were filed.

December 11, 2013

• A single turboprop engine Cessna Grand Caravan crashed into the ocean 1/2 mile off Molokai’s north shore. There were a total of eight passengers and pilot on board, with all surviving, except one female fatality.

2011

• CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter crashes into Kaneohe Bay during training killing 1 and injuring 3.
• Blue Hawaiian Helicopter pilot to blame for fatal crash killing 5; due to limited visibility and heavy rain.

2010

 

• January 11
  • A single engine Piper Cherokee crashed into the mountain side by Lanipo Trail on east Honolulu. The pilot and one passenger were killed.
• Hawaiian Airlines plane from Portland was diverted back after a hour and a half into the flight.  A suspicious passenger made threatening remarks and two F-15s had to then escort the flight as a precaution.

2009

• Military Helicopter crashes at Wheeler Army Airfield during flight test and kills both soldiers.
• Two Pilots overshoot airport by 50 miles due to falling asleep. The plane carrying 40 passengers eventually turn around and make a safe return.

2007

• Bad weather causes helicopter crash near Kailiu Point, Hawaii.  Pilot continued flight into bad weather even after he was warned of the potential hazards.  The helicopter also did not have the proper flotation devices which lead to 3 passengers drowning.
• Skydiving plane crashes on Kauai near Port Allen Airport killing 5.
• Single engine plane crashes in water on route to Honolulu International Airport.

August 18, 2003

• Both of an Air Canada Airbus A340-300 airplane’s center landing gear tires (numbers 9 and 10) shredded during the takeoff roll, damaging the door retraction arms and multiple fuselage skin panels. The flight crew could not retract the landing gear and elected to return to HNL and performed an uneventful overweight landing.  There were no injuries.

 2001

• January 5,
  • An Evergreen International Airlines Boeing 747-200F experienced smoke in the cockpit en route to HNL from Pago Pago. There were no injuries.
• March 5,
  • An American Trans Air L1011 was climbing from HNL going through 9,000 feet, when the No. 1 engine experienced an uncontained failure in plane of low pressure turbine. Fragments penetrated the left main wheel area and disabled the “C” hydraulic system. The airplane returned to HNL without further incident. There were no injuries to the crew, and no injuries to any passengers (actual number of passengers is unknown).

December 29, 2000

• Delta Airlines L-1011 Flight 219, experienced an electrical fire forward of the flight engineer’s station while en route from SFO to HNL. There were no injuries.

February 9, 1998

• A Hawaiian Airlines DC-9-51 reported fire from its right engine and aborted takeoff.  Passengers were disembarked via stairs.  Emergency chutes did not deploy.  There were no injuries.

1994

• June 19
  • A United Airlines 747 lost a wing panel during a flight to San Francisco. The plane returned safely to Honolulu. There were no injuries to anyone on board.

• November 4,

  • A single-engine Cherokee 140 plane crashed into a building shortly after taking off from Honolulu International. The pilot and one passenger were killed.

January 4, 1992

• A Cessna 310 disappeared while on a flight from Honolulu to Kahului. The pilot and four passengers were reported missing. The aircraft was never found.

July 21, 1991

• A Hawaiian Airlines DC-9 ladder compartment’s exterior door “popped” off as the plane took off from Honolulu Airport. The pilot turned the craft around and landed it without any further incident or injuries.

February 24, 1989

• A United Airlines plane made an emergency landing at Honolulu after a section of the Boeing 747 fuselage tore off in mid-flight. The flight originated in Los Angeles and was destined for Sydney, Australia, with stops in Honolulu and Auckland. The plane landed safely at HNL. Nine people were swept from the plane. One attendant and 20 of the 336 passengers were injured.

December 2, 1988

• A Hawaiian Airlines DC9-80 made an emergency landing at HNL after one of its two engines fell apart with debris failing to the ground. None of the 117 passengers aboard were injured. No one on the ground was injured from failing debris.

1984

• November 16,
  • A United Airlines 747 aborted its takeoff when a tire housing exploded and made a hole in the fuel tank. Passengers were evacuated down the emergency chutes; 31 were injured. The Reef Runway was closed for nearly three hours.
• July 16
  • A Pacific Air Express twin-engine Beechcraft bound for Kauai ditched in the lagoon off Honolulu Airport after its right engine failed. The pilot was rescued by a nearby boat. No one else was aboard the plane.
• February 2
  • A military C-141 transport aborted its takeoff after two tires in the right main landing gear blew. The incident closed the Reef Runway for three hours. There were no injuries.

1982

• October 17
  • Smoke in the cabin from a ruptured hydraulic line caused passengers aboard a Hawaiian Airlines DC 9-80 to be evacuated down emergency chutes after landing. Two were injured.
• August 21
  • A World Airlines DC-10 aborted its flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles when its tail engine caught fire. The plane turned back about 20 minutes after takeoff. The fire was extinguished upon landing by airport crash fire crews. There were no injuries.
• August 11
  • A bomb exploded aboard a Pan American 747 en route from Japan to Honolulu. The plane was 140 miles from Honolulu when the explosion occurred. The plane landed safely in Honolulu. One person was killed and 15 were injured by the explosion.

1980

• August 17,
  • A United Airlines DC-10 aborted its takeoff from the Reef Runway after two tires of the main landing gear blew out. There were no injuries.
• June 15
  • A fire in the left engine forced a Kauai-bound Hawaiian Airlines DC-9 to abort its takeoff. The fire was extinguished by airport crash fire crews. Passengers were evacuated down emergency exit slides; three persons were injured.

1979

• October 15
  • A United Airlines 747 was forced to abort its landing when a small plane mistakenly landed on the runway where the 747 was about to come down. The pilot pulled the plane up and circled out to sea for another approach and landed safely.
• October 8
  • A Hong Kong bound Braniff Airways 747 aborted its takeoff when its right outboard engine lost power. Safety valves in the plane’s brakes collapsed 11 of the planes 18 tires as it stopped. There were no injuries.

June 18, 1979

• An Air New Zealand DC-8 blew a tire during takeoff, damaging the plane’s wing. There were no injuries.

1978

• June 15
  • An Air Cargo Enterprise DC-4 commercial cargo plane made an emergency landing on the Reef Runway after losing an engine on takeoff. The plane was about 200 to 300 feet off the ground when a blade from a three-blade prop fell from the outside engine of the left wing, causing the plane to vibrate and the engine to be ripped from the wing. There were no injuries.
• April 12
  • A Philippine Airlines DC-10’s takeoff for Manila was aborted when one of two tires on the right wing gear blew on the takeoff. Four additional tires deflated because of the braking action. There were no injuries.
• March 1
  • A Continental Airlines DC-10 bound for Seattle blew two main gear tires on the left main gear while the plane was about halfway into the takeoff roll. The pilot aborted the takeoff. There were no injuries.

December 11, 1976

• A China Airlines 747 bound for Tokyo had an explosion and fire in its number three engine shortly after takeoff. The plane returned to Honolulu and landed safely. There were no injuries.

June 27, 1969

• An Aloha Airlines turbo-prop viscount, backing away from the gate on a flight to Molokai, crashed into a parked Hawaiian Airlines DC-9 after losing its hydraulic system. No one was seriously injured.

1967

• December 19
  • A United Airlines DC-8 inbound from Los Angeles skidded 700 feet off a rain slicked runway, stopping 18 yards from a drainage canal. There were no injuries.
• November 21
  • A British Overseas Airways Corp. 707 aborted its takeoff after an engine caught fire while the plane was speeding down the runway for takeoff. The fire was put out by airport crash fire crews. Passengers were evacuated down emergency exit chutes. Six persons were injured.

July 22, 1962

• The first fatal crash involving a commercial airliner on Hawaiian soil. A Canadian Pacific Airlines jet-prop Britannia crashed at HNL. The plane had taken off from Honolulu and was bound for Fiji. Ten minutes after takeoff the plane turned back because of an engine failure. The plane missed the runway and crashed. Twenty-seven of the 40 on board were killed.

September 5, 1959

• The nose gear on a Northwest Orient Airlines DC-6B collapsed as the plane came in for a landing after a flight from Seattle and Portland. The plane skidded on its nose for 150 yards down a wet runway. There were no injuries.