HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – More details are emerging about the two Kamaka Air pilots who died in Tuesday’s plane crash near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Their identities have yet to be officially released, but their relatives have provided their names to Hawaii News Now.

Family sources identified one of the victims as Hiram deFries-Saronitman, 24, a Punahou School graduate who was a pilot-in-training.

Relatives also confirmed that the second victim was Preston Kaluhiwa, 26.

Kaluhiwa was a 2016 graduate of Kamehameha Schools and a member of the kayak team. The family added that he went to Ohio in 2023 to obtain an advanced pilot’s license to operate multi-engine aircraft.

Meanwhile, three NTSB investigators are on their way to the accident site and will document the accident site and the aircraft wreckage. The wreckage will then be taken to a secure facility for further examination.

deFries-Saronitman and Kaluhiwa both died when a Kamaka Air Cessna 208 Caravan lost control and crashed into a three-story building on Aolele Street shortly after 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to authorities, the men had just taken off from Runway 4L when they reported problems to the tower.

The air traffic controller asked them to land the cargo plane anywhere, but the plane suddenly turned around and crashed into an empty building on the edge of the industrial area.

Kamaka Air is based in Hawaii and was founded in 1993. The company is an inter-island airline and logistics company that provides air cargo services such as charter services and per-pound services.

Witnesses to the accident or anyone with surveillance video or other information that may be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at [email protected].

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