Two young Native Hawaiian pilots lost their lives in a horrific plane crash on December 16 when they apparently lost control of their single-engine Cessna Caravan shortly after taking off on a training flight from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on route to Lānaʻi.
Preston Kaluhiwa, 26, a 2016 Kamehameha Schools Kapālama graduate from Kāneʻohe and Hiram DeFries-Saronitman, 22, a 2020 Punahou Schools graduate from Papakōlea worked for Kamaka Air, an inter-island air cargo service.
The crash is being investigated by both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine the cause of the accident. There has been speculation that the plane experienced engine failure.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said in a statement that the accident was an “absolute tragedy” but noted that it could have been much worse because the pilots appeared to have made adjustments as the plane was going down to minimize impact.
The cessna crashed into an abandoned building near the airport and, incredibly, no one on the ground was injured due to the pilots’ courage and quick thinking.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele, himself a pilot, issued a statement saying, “Our ʻohana is heartbroken for their families and loved ones.”
Calling the men “extraordinary young Hawaiian leaders,” Kahele noted that “commuter planes are lifelines for Hawaiʻi’s small and remote communities,” and added that their “commitment to this mission reflects the depth of their character and their aloha for our people.”
Kaluhiwa was a seasoned pilot at Kamaka Air. DeFries-Saronitman was set to receive his pilot’s wings on Wednesday, December 18. Ke Akua pū.
