Federal authorities investigate Royal Kunia plane crash
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
A propeller from a downed Cessna aircraft fell Thursday and left a gash, about 5 feet long in the roof of a home, above, on Waiahu Street in Royal Kunia.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
A propeller from a Cessna aircraft fell through the roof of Waiahu Street home in Kunia Thursday. A gash of about five feet in length can be seen in roof in this photo.
Federal authorities today are investigating the crash landing of a small plane near Royal Kunia Country Club that injured two men Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser today that it is working in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the crash.
The FAA reported that a Piper PA-28 landed in a field northwest of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport around 12 p.m. on Thursday. The plane left the airport at 11:49 a.m. and the flight ended about 10 minutes later, according to flightaware.com.
“Preliminary information indicates that a propeller detached from the plane and fell into a residential area. The pilot subsequently informed air traffic control that the plane was experiencing engine trouble before landing in a field,” an NTSB spokesperson said.
Local authorities said the 22-year-old pilot sustained a head injury and was taken by ambulance to a hospital in serious condition, while the 38-year-old flight instructor suffered a minor arm injury but declined medical treatment.
A propeller from the plane crashed through the roof of a nearby home on Waiahu Street but no one in the house was injured.
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NTSB officials said that during the on-scene phase of its investigation, they do not determine or speculate on the cause of an accident, and that a preliminary report will be released within 30 days.
A preliminary report by the FAA, posted online today Opens in a new tab, said, “The aircraft sustained substantial damage when it impacted a residential structure and terrain during a forced landing in Waipahu, Hawaii.
The FAA leading the investigation. The aircraft registration number is N261FC.
