Three National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be taking the lead on trying to determine why Kamaka Air Flight 689 crashed Tuesday soon after takeoff from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, killing two young pilots from Oahu.
Hiram deFries, 22, of Papakolea, and Preston Kaluhiwa, 26, of Kaneohe, died after the single-engine Cessna 208 that the two pilots were flying crashed into an abandoned building and burst into flames.
DeFries was a 2020 Punahou School graduate. Kaluhiwa, a 2016 Kamehameha Schools graduate, was a Kamaka Air pilot who was certified as a flight instructor. Both were Kamaka Air employees.
The two were reportedly on a training flight to Lanai when the plane went down at about 3:31 p.m, just minutes after takeoff.
“Kamaka Air Flight 689 crashed into a vacant building shortly after takeoff from Honolulu International Airport around 3:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, December 17.” read a statement from the FAA. “Two people were on board. The single-engine Cessna 208 was headed to Lanai Airport. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”
Families and friends of the victims attended a private memorial ceremony Wednesday at the cargo airline’s headquarters at the airport. A large memorial with flowers, photos and other mementos was placed just outside the building.
The family of Kaluhiwa issued a statement saying “with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the passing of our beloved Preston Kaluhiwa.”
“He was a loving son, brother, grandson, and nephew and will be truly missed. Preston was a proud 2016 graduate of Kamehameha Schools and an avid canoe paddler. Preston’s positive spirit and zest for life touched everyone who knew him. He had a deep passion for aviation and loved to soar through the skies as a pilot. We know he will continue to do so in the hands of Ke Akua,” read the statement. “We deeply appreciate the outpouring of aloha and support during this difficult time. We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate through this time of grief.”
David Hinderland, who took over in May as Kamaka Air’s CEO, declined to speak with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser about the fatal crash. He gave a brief statement to television Tuesday evening asking for privacy.
In a social media post Tuesday, the company said, “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.”
The FAA aircraft registry website’s shows that the Cessna 208 single-engine aircraft was built in 2011.
The registry indicates that at some point the plane had a temporary fuel modification for long-range flights, which is typically a temporary fuel tank to give the plane greater range so that it could be safely flown from the West Coast to Hawaii.
“This temporary range fuel system, which was installed … is a temporary installation. Upon arrival at the destination, the temporary extended range fuel system will be removed and the aircraft will be returned to its original configuration,” read the FAA statement. “The current weight and balance data in the pilots operating handbook will again apply. The aircraft does not meet the applicable airworthiness requirements when operated at a weight in excess of its certified max takeoff weight of 8,750 pounds.”
The company got a permit for the tank in 2011.
Hinderland did not respond to Star-Advertiser questions about whether the tank was still on the aircraft at the time of the crash.
DeFries and Kaluhiwa’s plane had a registry extended for seven years in 2019.
NTSB officials are expected to look at numerous factors as they investigate the cause of the crash, including airworthiness, the actions of the pilots, communications with air traffic control and weather conditions.
NTSB investigators routinely take a year or more to issue a final crash report.
The U.S. Department of Justice would consider any findings from the NTSB for possible criminal charges or civil penalties.
“The NTSB would be the agency to review incidents like these, but of course, we are poised to assist if we receive a request from our partners if we have a tool, tactic, or technique that could benefit their investigation,” read a statement to the Star-Advertiser from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Honolulu division.
“Aviation incidents are generally reviewed by the NTSB, which will involve other agencies as appropriate,” read a statement to the Star-Advertiser from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
