Safety board blames crash on pilot error

CAPTAIN COOK, Hawaii » The National Transportation Safety Board says a micro-light aircraft crash off Hawaii island last year was likely caused by pilot error.

Pilot Tedd Hecklin and passenger Katie Moran were killed in the April 21, 2010, crash. The aircraft sank in Kealakekua Bay and was not recovered.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Thursday the NTSB determined the crash was likely caused by "the pilot’s intentional in-flight maneuvers that exceeded the structural limit of the aircraft, which resulted in structural failure of the wings."

The NTSB also has released a report on a separate incident involving a Cessna plane that ran out of fuel and ditched off Hilo in October. The report says pilot Charles Brian Mello was flying from California and wasn’t able to reach Hilo because of head winds.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Blaze damages house on Kauai

A man escaped injury when his bedroom caught fire early Thursday morning on Kauai.

Police dispatch received a call at 3:44 a.m. after a fire broke out in the upstairs bedroom of a home on Kapahi Road.

Firefighters were on scene by 3:54 a.m., the county said in a news release, but residents had already extinguished the blaze using a garden hose.

The fire was contained to the upstairs bedroom, causing roughly $25,000 in damage to the structure and its contents.

Residents are being assisted by the Kauai Red Cross. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

New contractor accepting metal

The Puhi Metals Recycling Center on Kauai is accepting materials from the public as well as commercial operators under a new contractor.

Allison Fraley, the county’s Solid Waste Program development coordinator, said in a news release that the contractor, Resource Recovery Solutions LLC, has been offering services with no interruption since October.

Most metal items are accepted for recycling, including automobiles; small motorized goods; scrap ferrous metals including steel food cans; and appliances with and without refrigerants. Items are accepted from the general public free of charge.

There may be some charges for commercially generated items. For instance, appliances with refrigerants will cost $20 each.

PMRC is the only site on Kauai that is permitted by the state Department of Health to receive and process scrap ferrous metals, appliances and vehicles. Resource Recovery Solutions can be reached at 245-6919.