Caravan havari - Hawaii

State Health Director killed in plane crash, 8 others survive


State Health Department Director Loretta Fuddy died in a Makani Kai commuter airplane crash this afternoon off Kalaupapa in which eight other people -- including the pilot -- survived.

Fuddy's death was confirmed to the Star-Advertiser by several sources.

Sometime before 4 p.m., a Honolulu-bound Cessna Grand Caravan carrying eight passengers and the pilot crashed about a half-mile off Molokai's north shore after taking off from Kalaupapa, officials said.

Richard Schuman, president of Makani Kai, said a pilot flying over the crash site about half-mile offshore observed eight passengers in the water with life vests, he said.

Soon after the crash, Schuman said "initial indications" were that everyone made it out of the aircraft, but a Maui Fire Department spokesman later confirmed that there was one fatality.