Search continues for Hawaii Air Ambulance that disappeared from radar mid-flight

Honolulu (con) – The search for a crashed air ambulance off the coast of Maui entered its second day on Saturday.

A plane operated by Hawaii Life Flights departed Maui on Thursday to pick up the patient in Waimea on the Big Island. The aircraft disappeared from radar around 9:30 pm after about an hour of flight.

Hawaii Life Flight said there were three people on board and no patients. The Coast Guard said it lost contact with the aircraft, reportedly a twin-engined propeller plane of King His Air, about 15 nautical miles south of Hana, Maui’s easternmost point.

The Coast Guard said weather conditions were poor on Thursday, but improved on Friday, allowing crews to search the plane.

During the search, the Coast Guard crew reported seeing “underwater sheen in the search area” and aircraft debris in the water.

“We have not confirmed that the debris was from the missing aircraft,” said Coast Guard public affairs specialist David Graham. Said.

The Civil Air Patrol, established during World War II to provide community support and services, also joined the search. They used three of his other planes on Friday before deploying a Cessna plane with high-tech cameras to photograph areas of interest on Saturday.

“There are pilots, mission pilots, mission scanners, and mission observers who not only take pictures, but also support the missions.

All Hawaii Life Flight aircraft and crew are on standby for safety, according to parent company Global Medical Response (GMR). Governor Josh Green’s state of emergency declaration allowed additional medical teams to begin service on Saturday, and new ambulances were also operational.

GMR said in a statement on Saturday:

“In addition to manning GMR’s multiple helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, GMR clinicians plan to man the two state-operated Blackhawk helicopters … Hawaii Life Flight We thank the U.S. Coast Guard, Governor Greene, Emergency Airlift, and the community for their help and continued support during this difficult time.”

Spokesperson for Global Medical Response

The National Transportation Safety Board has not confirmed that the debris recovered off the coast of Maui Friday belongs to a Hawaii Life Flight aircraft, and told KHON a search for the plane is still ongoing.

Civil Air Patrol said it was unclear how long the search would last.

“It’s been about 24 hours or more, so it could last eight to ten hours, or two hours up to several weeks,” says Fujinaka.

GMR said the crew members’ names and photos could not be released on Saturday.