The NTSB released video today that showed the recovery of the wreckage from Transair flight 810.
Flight 810, a Boeing 737-200 jet, departed on a routine cargo flight from Honolulu International Airport. It was supposed to arrive at Maui’s Kahului International Airport just 43 minutes later. Early in the departure, the pilots requested a return to the airport due to the loss of an engine. On the turn back towards the airport, the pilot reported that the aircraft lost thrust on its remaining engine.
The crew had no choice but to ditch off the coast of Oahu, just 4 miles from Honolulu International airport.Before they ditched, they made a mayday call and requested Coast Guard assistance. The Coast Guard arrived within the hour to begin rescue operations. Both pilot and co-pilot survived the unpowered ditching in the dark ocean but sustained injuries in the process. No small feat.
NTSB successfully recovers the jet
After four months of preparation, the NTSB successfully raised the aircraft off the ocean floor. This was no small feat as the aircraft rested over 800 feet below the water’s surface. Months of preparation were required to obtain the correct equipment and devise a plan to recover the downed aircraft. A crane capable of raising over 60k pounds of jet was required for the task.
Remarkably, the 46 year-old jet was largely intact as you can see in the photos. The aircraft broke apart into two major pieces with a separation occurring at approximately one-third the length of the aircraft. The underside of the aircraft was shredded which likely occurred as a result of landing in 4′ to 8 feet swell conditions with potential additional damage as it landed on the sea bed. Both engines separated from the aircraft.
Damage on one engine in the photo showed rotational shearing that could indicate that the engine was still spinning (but note it may have not been producing thrust) at the point of impact.
In the video below (released by the NTSB), you can see the cockpit intact with the co-pilot’s window open.
The investigation on the accident continues. A final report on the incident is expected sometime within the next year.
Note: All photos provided by the NTSB. The full Flickr album is located here.
