The Hawaii Department of Transportation confirmed the two fatalities in a press conference near the scene of the accident, which occurred shortly after 3 p.m. local time.

“An absolute tragedy occurred today at one of our air service providers,” Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii Department of Transportation, told reporters. “A Cessna 208, a Kamaka Airlines plane, crashed into the building behind me. Two souls were on board, both perished.”

The aircraft is owned by Kamaka Air, an inter-Island airline that flies to Molokai and Lanai and also provides air cargo services and charter flights. The airline’s CEO said Kamaka Air is not releasing the names of the two pilots to ensure their families’ privacy.

Hawaii News Now obtained an audio transmission from an aircraft flying at the time. A pilot aboard Kamaka Air 689 reportedly told the control tower at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport: “We are out of control here.”

Honolulu Fire Department Chief Sheldon Hao told reporters that the Cessna crashed into the “outer stairwell area” of a building on Aolele Street, which borders the airport. “Fortunately, the building is an abandoned building, so in the best case scenario, no one else was involved,” Hao said.