Yesterday, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended their search for a missing medical transport plane off Maui.

On Thursday, December 15, watch standers at Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Honolulu received a report from the Honolulu Control Facility of a downed Hawaiʻi Life Flight aircraft 16-miles south of Hana with three crew members on board.   The fixed-wing aircraft, which was en route to pick up a patient on Big Island, went missing after take off.

Multiple aircrews from Air Station Barbers Point were deployed immediately after the notification and the Coast Guard Cutter William Hart was diverted to join in the search.

“Working with U.S. Coast Guard assets, the Hawaiʻi Wing Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, our team conducted a total of 28 searches, over the course of 67 hours, covering over 4,732 square nautical miles,” said Jennifer Conklin, the Coast Guard District 14 Search and Rescue Program Manager. in a press release.  Conklin continued, “While it is not an easy decision, we have suspended the active search pending any further new information.”