Investigation Underway, Plane Crash Victims Recovered

Lānaʻi plane crash site, photo courtesy Hawaii News Now.

By Wendy Osher

The Maui Police Department has confirmed that all victims of Wednesday’s plane crash on Lāna‘i have been recovered and were taken to the department’s forensic facility in Wailuku.

Maui Police Lt. William Juan said the department continues to hold the scene for federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board.

The remote scene is located in an old pineapple field southwest of the Lānaʻi Airport in the Miki Basin area.

A preliminary notice filed by the Federal Aviation Administration notes that the Piper PA-31 aircraft crashed shortly after departure and was substantially damaged in the incident.

Both police and fire officials confirmed that the two women killed in the crash were found within the plane, and the pilot was ejected.

While the names of both crash victims and survivors have been posted on our site, confirmed and released through various media outlets, police say positive identity of those killed in the crash will come following forensic testing.