Interisland Hawaii flight lands safely after engine gave out mid-air, sounded like ‘an explosion’
A short flight between Oahu and Molokai on Tuesday scared passengers when one of the two plane’s propellers went out mid-air.
The incident occurred shortly after taking off from Molokai in a Saab 340 twin-engine turboprop at around 4 p.m. Passengers on the Mokulele Airlines flight reported hearing a loud boom that sounded “like an explosion,” one passenger told HawaiiNewsNow.
The aircraft “suffered a loss of power in its left engine shortly after takeoff from Molokai,” the company said in a statement.
Owned by Southern Airways Express, Mokulele Airlines is the lifeline between the islands of Molokai and Lanai. Major airline carriers like Hawaiian Airlines no longer fly to the smaller, less populated islands.
The plane had just departed Molokai and was headed toward Oahu – a 41-minute-long flight – carrying students from Molokai Middle School.
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“I didn’t want to freak out,” Iolani Kuoha, the vice principal for the middle school, told HNN. “I didn’t want to stress out the students, so I tried to be as calm as I could.”
The one-year-old aircraft managed to fly over 20 minutes and land safely in Honolulu with one propeller with no injuries to flight or crew.
“Southern Airways maintains all its fleet to FAA standards, and we have already begun our investigation into the cause of this incident,” according to the company.
Passengers on the flight will receive a $400 credit in addition to a refund of the flight.
In late March, Mokulele said it will invest $10 million in expanding its fleet after Molokai residents said they have been frustrated with frequent delays and cancellations caused by weather and mechanical problems. Many people rely on flying to Oahu for medical appointments but end up flying a day later than when they were scheduled to.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for Paste BN based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com