Local News

Crews Aim to Recover Plane That Ditched in Ocean Off Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi Public Radio | By The Associated Press

Published September 30, 2021 at 1:11 PM HST

In this Thursday, July 8, 2021 image from video provided by the National Transportation Safety Board, the jet cabin from Transair Flight 810 rests on the Pacific Ocean floor off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii. The NTSB located the aircraft on the Pacific Ocean floor approximately 2 miles from Ewa Beach. The fuselage split into 2 sections, breaking just forward of the wings. On July 2, the pilots of the Transair Flight 810 reported engine trouble and were attempting to return to Honolulu when they were forced to land the Boeing 737 in the water, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. (NTSB via AP) — In this image taken July 8, 2021, and provided by Sea Engineering, Inc. shows the forward fuselage of Transair flight 810 as it rests on the ocean floor about 2 miles from Ewa Beach. Crews will use a barge outfitted with a crane to try to recover a cargo plane that ditched into the ocean off Honolulu. The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 it is sending investigators to the site where the Boeing 737 went into the water back in July. (Sea Engineering, Inc. via AP)

Federal investigators will try to recover the wreckage of a cargo plane that ditched into the ocean near Honolulu after developing engine trouble.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it was sending a team of investigators to the site where the Boeing 737 went into the ocean in July while pilots were trying to return to the airport shortly after takeoff.

The NTSB said a ship with remotely operated vehicles and a barge with a crane will be used in the recovery effort, which is expected to start around Oct. 9.

The safety board said the wreckage contains important information including the black boxes that contain flight data and cockpit sounds.

Both pilots were plucked from the water by Coast Guard rescuers after the nighttime ditching. The TransAir flight was operated by Rhoades Aviation. Federal regulators have since grounded the company.

The fuselage broke into two pieces and came to rest about 350 to 450 feet (107 to 137 meters) below the surface and 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from shore.