HONOLULU — A small cargo aircraft engaged in a training mission tragically crashed into an unoccupied structure shortly after taking off from the airport in Honolulu, resulting in the deaths of both pilots on board, according to official reports.

The incident involving Kamaka Air Flight 689 occurred around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, with the aircraft striking a building at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, as stated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Video footage captured the plane tilting sideways at a low altitude before colliding with the structure, which sent up a massive, dark cloud of smoke into the air.

Audio recordings obtained revealed a conversation between the control tower and the flight crew. “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 to attempt a landing, saying, “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 aircraft crashed moments after this exchange.

David Hinderland, CEO of Kamaka Air, spoke with reporters about the incident, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of two pilots from the Kamaka Air team. The identities of the deceased pilots have not been officially released yet.

According to reports from Hawaii News Now, family members have identified one victim as Hiram Defries, a graduate of Punahou School in his 20s who was in pilot training. Additionally, KITV reported that the family of the other pilot recognized him as Preston Kaluhiwa, an alumnus of Kamehameha Schools.

The FAA indicated that the Cessna 208, which is a single-engine plane, was en route to Lanai Airport located in Maui County. Kamaka Air is known for its freight delivery services catering to both personal and business clients, as stated on their website.

Fortunately, no other individuals were injured in the incident, as confirmed by the Honolulu Fire Department. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be conducting investigations into the crash to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding this tragic event.