2 found safe in ocean off Hawaii after plane disappears from radar
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two people after their plane disappeared from radar. (U.S. Coast Guard)
Saturday, July 16, 2016 07:53AM
HONOLULU -- The Coast Guard rescued a man and woman in the ocean off Hawaii on Friday, nearly a day after the plane they were in disappeared from radar.
"What a way to celebrate aloha Friday," Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Tara Molle said of the relief in finding the two alive. "We all had big smiles on our faces in the office when we heard the news."
A helicopter crew hoisted them out of the water about 11:30 a.m. Friday, Molle said. They were a mile and a half offshore near Kona, the Coast Guard said.
Paramedics met them at Kona airport and treated them for minor injuries, Molle said. They were identified as David McMahon, 26, and Sydnie Uemoto, in her 20s.
There was no immediate word on the plane. The plane's pilot radioed about an air emergency at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. After that, air traffic controllers lost contact with the pilot and the plane no longer appeared on radar, the Coast Guard said.
The pilot of the twin-engine Piper PA23 reported engine problems before ditching in the ocean about 27 miles northwest of Kona, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The plane had departed from west Oahu and was headed for Kona, the FAA said.
On Friday morning, a visiting New Zealand air force P3 plane spotted debris about 50 miles northwest of Kona. The Coast Guard sent a ship to the scene to see if the debris was from the missing plane. The New Zealand plane is in Hawaii to participate in the Rim of the Pacific military exercises. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force also joined in the search.
A tour helicopter later spotted wreckage about 9 miles north of Kona airport and reported it to the Coast Guard, Molle said. A Coast Guard helicopter went to the wreckage location and spotted two people in the water wearing life jackets, she said.
"They had been attempting to swim to shore through the night," Molle said.
It's not yet clear what happened to them.
"A lot of times these cases don't really end well," Molle said. "When we have a happy ending, what more could you ask for?"
McMahon's father, Richard McMahon, summed up his feelings: "Big-time relieved." He said he was on his way from Oahu to the Big Island on Friday to see his son, a Kailua, Oahu, resident and a commercial pilot for Mokulele Airlines. He said his son rented a plane for additional flying hours for his commercial pilot's license.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
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Responders rescue 2 pilots from downed small plane off Kona, Hawaii
Jul 15th, 2016 · 0 Comment
Coast Guard and Hawaii Fire Department personnel stand with the mother of Sidney Uemoto following her daughter’s rescue nine miles off Kona, Hawaii, July 15, 2016. U.S. Coast Guard photo
HONOLULU — Survivors of a downed small plane were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard off Kona, Frday, following a joint search involving the U.S. Navy, Royal New Zealand air force, U.S. Air Force and Coast Guard crews.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted the survivors at 11:35 a.m. about nine miles north of the Kona airport, a mile and half offshore. They were flown to the airport where they were met by awaiting emergency medical crews and treated for minor injuries.
A commercial helicopter flying along the Kona coast sighted a debris field and reported it to the Coast Guard. One of the Dolphin crews was diverted to investigate and sighted the survivors. They vectored in a second Dolphin crew with a rescue swimmer aboard to conduct the hoist. The survivors were both wearing lifejackets and were swimming toward shore at the time.
Involved in the search were:
– HC-130 Hercules airplane crews and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point
– A Navy MH-60R helicopter crew from the USS Chung Hoon (DDG-93) and the crew of the ship
– The Coast Guard Cutter Galveston Island (WPB-1349)
– A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3K2 Orion airplane crew
– HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from the US Air Force 353rd Special Operations Group from Kadena Air Base, Japan
At 3:15 p.m. watchstanders at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu received notification from Honolulu control facility personnel that the pilot of a dual engine aircraft with two people aboard radioed them reporting and in air emergency. The tower confirmed they then lost contact with the pilot and the plane no longer appeared on radar.
The plane was reportedly traveling to Kona from Oahu, not Maui as previously reported, with the last known position approximately 25 miles northwest of Kona. A Navy P3 Orion airplane was on approach to Kona and overheard the pilot’s call to the tower. The Orion crew initially diverted to investigate the report, but is not involved in the search.
Watchstanders immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast advising mariners in the area to keep a sharp lookout and report any sightings to JRCC. They also directed the launch of assets to respond.
The Chung Hoon is homeported in Pearl Harbor. The Galveston Island is homeported in Honolulu. The Chung Hoon, Royal New Zealand air force and U.S. Air Force HC-130 are participating in RIMPAC 2016.