Kamaka Air Accident

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A Kamaka Air cargo plane crashed about two miles south of the Ho’olehua Airport on Jan. 16 during its approach to land. The two pilots on board had treatable injuries. The cause of the crash, which occurred just after 5 a.m., is currently under investigation.   

Kamaka Air provides daily, essential cargo service to Molokai and other islands.

The Federal Aviation Administration accident report noted “substantial” damage to the single engine Cessna 208 aircraft. 

“Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances on landing,” the report states. The report classified one flight crew injury as “minor” and the other as “serious.”

“I want to commend the Molokai emergency personnel who swiftly responded to the incident,” said Molokai’s Sen, Lynn DeCoite in a statement following the accident. “Kamaka Air is a lifeline for our Molokai community, and I will work closely with them and other relevant agencies to evaluate this situation with hopes that we can prevent another incident like this from happening again.”  

Locally owned and operated, Kamaka Air has been providing freight delivery services for more than 25 years, according to the company’s website. They offer daily flights to Molokai and Kalauapa, as well as other islands across the state with a fleet of six Cessna Caravans. 

Kamaka officials did not return requests for comment. 

National Transportation Safety Board normally releases a preliminary accident report within a few weeks following an accident, but it will likely take one to two years for the final report, including probable cause of the accident, to be released. 

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