Federal authorities are investigating the crash landing Thursday of a small plane near Royal Kunia Country Club that injured two men.
The National Transportation Safety Board told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Friday that it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the incident.
The FAA reported that a Piper PA-28 landed in a field northwest of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport around noon Thursday. The aircraft departed the airport at 11:49 a.m., and the flight ended about 10 minutes later, according to FlightAware.com.
“Preliminary information indicates that a propeller detached from the plane and fell into a residential area. The pilot subsequently informed air traffic control that the plane was experiencing engine trouble before landing in a field,” an NTSB spokesperson said.
Local authorities said the 22-year-old pilot sustained a head injury and was transported in serious condition by ambulance to a hospital. The 38-year-old flight instructor suffered a minor arm injury but declined medical treatment.
The plane’s propeller crashed through the roof of a home on Waiahu Street. No one inside the house was injured.
William Ingram, a neighbor, said he was in his home when the incident occurred and did not hear anything until Honolulu Police Department vehicles arrived in the neighborhood and he saw the aftermath.
He said he didn’t hear the plane crash or suspect anything had happened until the neighborhood became crowded with officers.
“Every once in a while you’ll hear a small plane going over here, and you’ll hear the helicopters from the military base, but it’s not every day or anything like that,” Ingram said.
He said he had heard that both homeowners were inside at the time, and described it as “scary” when he learned that the wife had been in the kitchen cutting up some pineapple when the propeller fell through the roof and into the kitchen.
“It was a close one,” he said. “They’re very nice people.”
NTSB officials stated that during the on-scene phase of the investigation, they do not determine or speculate on the cause of an accident. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
A preliminary FAA report posted online Friday stated, “The aircraft sustained substantial damage when it impacted a residential structure and terrain during a forced landing in Waipahu, Hawaii.”
The FAA is leading the investigation. The aircraft’s registration number is N261FC.
