HONOLULU — A tragic incident occurred when a small cargo aircraft on a training mission crashed into an unoccupied structure shortly after takeoff from Honolulu’s airport, resulting in the tragic fatalities of both pilots on board, according to local authorities.

Kamaka Air Flight 689 went down into a building at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported. Eyewitness video captured the plane spiraling dangerously low before colliding with the structure, unleashing a massive cloud of black smoke into the sky.

Audio recordings revealed a communication between the control tower and the distressed pilots as they attempted to navigate the emergency. “Kamaka Flight 689, you’re turning right, correct?” the control tower inquired. The pilot replied, “Kamaka 689, we are, we have, uh, we’re out of control here.” The control tower then urged the pilot, “OK, Kamaka 689, if you can land, if you can level it off, that’s fine. Any runway, any place you can do.” Tragically, the crash followed mere moments later.

In a statement to the media, Kamaka Air’s CEO David Hinderland expressed deep sorrow over the loss of two members of the company’s team in this devastating accident, while emphasizing that the names of the deceased pilots have yet to be publicly disclosed.

However, family sources have revealed the identity of one victim as Hiram Defries, a recent graduate of Punahou School in his twenties who was undergoing flight training. Another pilot, identified by his family as Preston Kaluhiwa, also hailed from Kamehameha Schools, according to local reports.

The FAA noted that the single-engine Cessna 208 was en route to Lanai Airport, situated in Maui County. Kamaka Air is predominantly known for its freight delivery services catering to both personal and commercial clients, as mentioned on its website.

Fortunately, there were no additional injuries reported as a result of the crash, as stated by the Honolulu Fire Department. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have announced plans to conduct thorough investigations into the incident.