A Boeing 737 has been involved in a ditching incident off the coast of Honolulu, with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board now investigating.
The aircraft involved was a 45.9 year old Boeing 737-200 Freighter, registered N810TA, operated by Rhodes Express under TransAir colours. The aircraft reportedly encountered engine problems just after departing from Honolulu, it then performed a ditching approximately two miles off the coast of Oahu.
Two pilots were on board and both have been successfully been rescued by the United States Coast Guard, who had initiated a quick response.
David Shepardson, transport reporter for Reuters DC, tweeted the FAA’s statement on the incident, confirming initial reports.
Boeing’s share price fell as much as 2.5 percent. The variant involved is not apart of the 737 MAX family, which was grounded for nearly two years.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Chris Hoare
Want an eye opening look into why this incident severity was multiplied x1000! Listen to the ATC comm for the flight! COMPLETE breakdown in emergency procedures by both pilots and ATC. One pilot was terrible at communicating with clarity and brevity, his sentences were running on which fed into an inexperienced controller who repeatedly stepped on his comm before he finished his statement, this happened multiple times where ATC was talking at the same time as the aircraft in distress because she was impatient and nervous. The pilots also asked for vectors from ATC for “time to do checklists” WTF! They had two choices to land KHNL and a regional half the distance and because the PIC couldnt clearly communicate the severity of the emergency and the ATC wasnt prepared properly to handle te escalating problems they ditched. The PIC failed miserably to handle the emergency he was presented and ATC failed miserably to provide emergency support.
People need to lose their jobs here! There is no room for such horrible performance at this level in our transportation system! God help us all!
Surviving a ditching is rare in jets. My guess is that pilot skill and the small profile of this old model’s engines was key to their survival. Best of luck with a Max version.
fyi.. Kahului is on Maui. Looks like it went down off Ewa Beach, Oahu.
Thanks, we have updated the post.