WAIANAE (AP) — Two people survived with minor injuries after the small plane they were in crashed into the water close to shore off west Oahu’s Makaha beach on Monday, officials said.
The single-engine aircraft crashed about 30 yards from Makaha Beach Park, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. David Jenkins.
Lifeguards in a tower didn’t see the plane go down, but saw it halfway submerged, with its tail sticking out, said Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokeswoman Shayne Enright. Two lifeguards swam out to the man and woman, who were hanging on to the wings of the plane as it was sinking, she said.
A bystander in a personal watercraft brought all four of them to shore.
Paramedics treated the man and woman and took them to an area hospital. They were treated for bruises, Enright said.
The single-engine Beechcraft Sundowner reportedly experienced engine trouble while headed to Honolulu International Airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
The Honolulu couple listed in FAA records as the plane’s registered owners couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Another small plane crashed on the island of Kauai on Monday, killing all five people aboard.
That plane crashed about 9:30 a.m. during a skydiving tour just outside Port Allen Airport, the Kauai Fire Department said in a statement. The pilot, two skydive instructors and two tandem jumpers were believed to be in the plane.