This morning, July 2nd, a Transair Boeing 737 aircraft crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff. The plane, a Boeing 737-200 registered N810TA, was operating a daily cargo flight between the Hawaiian islands of Honolulu and Kahului when the incident happened. 

The freighter 737 took off from Honolulu at 1:33am local time before reporting engine trouble just a few minutes later. Flight T4810 then attempted to turn around and land back in Honolulu, but the plane was forced to ditch into the Pacific Ocean, 2 miles away from the airport. The United States Coast Guard was contacted around 1:40am, and a helicopter arrived at the scene 50 minutes later, at 2:30am. 

Both pilots were spotted in the water and rescued. One pilot was directly airlifted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in a hospital after being found in a critical condition, and the other pilot was brought to the shore in a boat and then transported to the hospital after suffering a head injury and multiple cuts. The pilot in critical condition was 58-years-old while the other pilot was 50. 

The Coast Guard has sent an investigation team to the scene and it has been reported that the plane has sunken. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently also investigating the incident and have sent a group of investigators as well. It is still unclear what caused the engine trouble on the plane, although it is noteworthy that the 737 was built in 1975 and had been flying for 46 years. 

This 737 crash is not related to any incidents of the 737 MAX, as the crash was most likely the result of fatigue from the aircraft’s old age. The 737 in this accident is a much older version than the 737 MAX, which was permitted to fly again late last year. Transair has not spoken about the incident yet, but it is fortunate that this flight wasn’t a passenger flight and that both crew members survived.

Sources:

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/07/02/boeing-737-cargo-plane-crashes-off-west-oahu-with-2-board/

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/02/boeing-cargo-plane-makes-emergency-landing-in-ocean-off-honolulu-coast-faa-says.html

https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20210702-0

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