NTSB: Inspection mistakes caused engine failure
HONOLULU — Investigators say inspections of a fan blade that broke off during a United Airlines flight in 2018, triggering an engine failure and emergency landing, failed to spot signs that the blade was weak.
The National Transportation Safety Board says engine maker Pratt &Whitney did not provide a formal program for training its inspectors who examined the fan blades.
The safety board issued its conclusions in a report Tuesday.
The incident happened as the Boeing 777 from San Francisco cruised toward Honolulu. The crew heard a loud bang and felt the plane shake. The pilots were able to land safely, and none of the 374 passengers and crew were injured, although parts of the engine housing were blown off, according to the NTSB.
The safety board said the blade that snapped off showed signs of metal wear and tear in previous examinations in 2010 and 2015, but Pratt &Whitney inspectors thought it was just a paint imperfection.
In an emailed statement, Pratt &Whitney said it supported the NTSB investigation and took corrective actions in response to the event.
HA to resume some flights to mainland
HONOLULU — Hawaiian Airlines will resume some flights between Honolulu and mainland cities next month after halting them because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement released Wednesday, the airline said it will soon offer daily nonstop service between Honolulu and Boston, New York, Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Jose and Oakland in California.
It will also increase interisland flights and service from the mainland to Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
The airline has operated on a once-daily schedule of flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
The new flights will begin in August, when the state will allow travelers who tested negative for COVID-19 to enter Hawaii without having to quarantine for two weeks.
International routes remain suspended.
Maui ordnance detonation raises concerns
WAILUKU, Maui — Environmentalists, state lawmakers and residents expressed concern about the potential handling of unexploded World War II ordnance off Maui.
There are fears about the repercussions of detonating the decades-old explosives in the Molokini Marine Life Conservation District off South Maui.
The state departments of Land and Natural Resources and Health, the U.S. Navy and other agencies are considering how to quickly and safely remove two bombs officials say are more than 70 years old and pose serious risks to the public.
Opponents said explosions in the area could cause irreversible damage to coral reefs, ocean life and the island.
The military used Molokini Crater for bombing practice when the U.S. entered WWII. In the 1970s and 1980s, unexploded ordnance was detonated in the crater.
No final decisions about handling the ordnance have been made, officials said.
Bill gives land for temporary homeless camps
KAILUA-KONA — A state legislative committee approved a bill to allow state land to be used for emergency homeless camps during the coronavirus pandemic.
The bill passed by House Finance Committee members Monday would allow month-to-month revocable permits to be used for temporary shelters to accommodate people experiencing homelessness.
Scott Morshige, homelessness coordinator for Gov. David Ige, said there is concern about community and privately supported camps on public land without authorization that might not have access to basic hygiene or present other hazards such as location in a flood zone.
The measure would provide a mechanism for the state to temporarily regulate encampments while the virus outbreak continues, Morshige said.
The bill, which passed the House Committee on Housing last week, will move to the House floor for a vote.
An amendment added Monday by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources would require the measure to expire three months after Ige lifts emergency health restrictions that went into effect in March.