HONOLULU, HI – Two people were killed when a Kamaka Air Cessna 208 crashed into a building near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Monday afternoon, December 16, 2024.

The crash occurred at around 3:05 p.m. on Aolele Street, as the plane was conducting a training flight. According to state officials, the aircraft crashed into a vacant state-owned building. Both individuals aboard the plane died, and no one was inside the building at the time of the crash.

Audio transmissions from Kamaka Air Flight 689, the ill-fated flight, revealed the distress of the pilot in the moments leading up to the crash. In communication with the control tower, the pilot reported:
Tower: “Kamaka Flight 689, you’re turning right, correct?”
Pilot: “Kamaka 689, we are, we have, uh, we’re out of control here.”
Tower: “Okay, Kamaka 689, if you can land, if you can level it off, that’s fine. Any runway, any place you can do.”

Despite attempts by the tower to assist the pilot, the plane was unable to regain control and crashed.

Kamaka Air Inc., the airline operating the flight, is a Hawaii-based company founded in 1993. The company provides inter-island air cargo services, including charter flights and per-pound service.

The crash prompted road closures along Ualena and Aolele streets, though airport facilities remain operational. The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is coordinating with airport employees and Terminal 3 occupants to ensure safe access to unaffected areas.

The Honolulu Emergency Operations Center has been partially activated, and first responders from the Honolulu Fire Department and Honolulu Police Department are at the scene. The City’s Department of Emergency Management is also monitoring the situation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash.