Investigators to search ocean off Oahu for cargo plane

Investigators are continuing to gather information on a cargo plane that crashed into Mamala Bay shortly after taking off from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Both members of the two-person flight crew were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and Honolulu Fire Department. Both were injured.

The aircraft sustained significant damage and sank. However, the Coast Guard is examining a small amount of debris that was recovered.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators are still trying to determine the exact location of the plane. They plan to use side-scan sonar today to examine the condition of the airplane, its location and how deep the aircraft sank. Investigators will need to find the plane’s location n order for the cockpit voice and flight data recorders to be recovered. These “black boxes” are vital to understanding the cause of the crash.

The findings from the scan sonar will also determine whether the airplane will be salvaged.

The investigators are still interviewing those involved, including the pilots, air traffic controllers and maintenance employees.

The 46-year-old plane was operated by Rhoades Aviation as Transair Flight 810. It was scheduled to fly from Honolulu to Kahului, Hawaii, but went into the ocean several miles offshore, according to authorities. Both pilots, the only people on board, were seriously injured and were clinging to packages and the tail of the plane when they were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, authorities said.

The safety board said it met Saturday with others who will be involved in the investigation, including representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration, Rhoades Aviation, Boeing, engine maker Pratt and Whitney and air traffic controllers.