Two plane incidents rocked the state of Hawaii on Monday morning, one of which involved a fiery plane crash that left five people dead.
A group of two instructors, two tandem jumpers and a pilot took off for a skydiving tour from Port Allen Airport in Kauai at 9:30 a.m. The single-engine Cessna they were in crashed just outside the airport in Hanapepe, a Kauai Fire Department official said.
Four of the individuals were pronounced dead on the scene and one adult male died en route to nearby Wilcox Hospital.
In a separate incident off the island of Oahu, a single-engine airplane experienced engine trouble while inbound to Honolulu International Airport when it landed in the water just off of Makaha Beach, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Around 11:20 a.m. a lifeguard noticed a plane halfway submerged in the water in Charlie’s Reef, Honolulu Emergency Services spokesperson Shayne Enright said.
The passengers were 50 yards out to shore, hanging on to the airplane wings and wearing life jackets when the lifeguard reached them, said Enright. The 56-year old male who was piloting, along with his 52-year-old female passenger, were transferred to an area hospital with minor injuries. The two are believed to be from Oahu.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating both incidents.
