Loved ones mourn 2 killed in plane crash near Honolulu airport
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - More details are emerging about the two Kamaka Air pilots who died in Tuesday’s plane crash near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
Their identities have yet to be officially released, but loved ones shared their names with Hawaii News Now: Hiram deFries-Saronitman, 24, and Preston Kaluhiwa, 26.
Both were licensed commercial pilots. They were headed to Lanai on a training flight when the plane crashed into a vacant building.
Loved ones made their way inside the Kamaka Air hangar for a private vigil Wednesday. Many carried flowers, and some wore their pilot uniforms.
Kamaka Airlines employees tell HNN that Kaluhiwa had many years of experience flying with the company. Family added that he went to Ohio in 2023 to get an advanced pilot license to operate multi-engine planes.
deFries-Saronitman was on his last training flight after months of training.
Kaluhiwa graduated in 2016 from Kamehameha Schools, where he was active in sports, like kayaking.
Kamaka Air manager Kapahukulaokamamalu Chow went to school with him on the Kapalama campus.
“He’s always been the cool, calm, collected man that he always is. He made a perfect pilot,” Chow said.
deFries-Saronitman graduated from Punahou School, where he was a football player who played in the Polynesian Bowl.
Punahou football head coach Nate Kia said, “He was a great example to a lot of young players behind him, and great support for his teammates. Every weekend we went to battle, and everybody remembers that.”
Kia describes deFries-Saronitman as “just a good guy and his home was open to everybody. His family was terrific, a big part of the Punahou football program. But yeah, just a real heavy time.”
deFries-Saronitman was also said to be a fluent speaker of Olelo Hawaii, and took classes at the University of Hawaii on the side to study the language.
His longtime girlfriend, Naleo Faurot, told HNN, “To know him was to love him. He was the most kind-hearted, selfless individual who could bring a smile to anyone’s face.”
deFries-Saronitman and Kaluhiwa were both killed when their Kamaka Air Cessna 208 Caravan lost control and crashed into a three-story building on Aolele Street just after 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Authorities say the men had just taken off from Runway 4L when they reported trouble to the tower.
The air traffic controller told them to land the cargo plane anywhere they could, but the aircraft suddenly turned around and plunged into a vacant building on the edge of the industrial area.
Three National Transportation Safety Board investigators are traveling to the accident site and will document the site and airplane wreckage.
The wreckage will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.
Witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
Based in Hawaii and founded in 1993, Kamaka Air operates as an inter-island airline and logistics company that provides air cargo services such as charter service and per-pound service.
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