Two Plane Crashes Within 2 Hours Kill 5 in Hawaii

ByJEFFREY COOK ABCNews logo
Tuesday, May 24, 2016

In separate incidents, two planes crashed in Hawaii this morning, authorities said.

The first crash, which occurred at 9:30 a.m. local time, killed all five adults on-board the Cessna 182H taking off for a skydiving trip, going down shortly after departure from Port Allen Airport on the island of Kauai, according to Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara.

The plane held a pilot, two instructors and two jumpers, likely preparing for a tandem jump over the island, Sakahara said.

The crash caused a brush fire just outside the fence line of the airport, where one of the victims was transported to a local hospital before being pronounced dead, authorities said.

Kauai Fire Department said the plane belonged to Skydive Kaua. The company did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

The second crash occurred under more unclear circumstances, but with less grim results.

According to Honolulu EMS, the separate accident occurred about 2 hours later when a 56-year-old pilot and his 52-year-old female passenger crashed just yards off the shore of the island of Oahu. Both were rescued by Ocean Safety lifeguards and brought to shore. They both survived the crash. One had injuries, but was declared stable.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor told ABC News the Beechcraft Sundowner experienced engine trouble while inbound to Honolulu International Airport and landed just off of Makaha Beach.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate both crashes, according to Gregor and the NTSB.

Sakahara confirmed the second crash and told ABC News the weather appeared clear this morning.

ABC News' Whitney Lloyd and Erin Dooley contributed to this report.

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