The U.S. Coast Guard has identified the pilot of a Cessna that went missing Saturday night between Maui and Molokai as Jose Krall, co-owner of the landmark Maui Bake Shop in Wailuku.
Friends said Krall, an avid pilot, flew between Maui and Molokai nearly every weekend.
Hopes for his survival dimmed Sunday when Coast Guard personnel recovered debris that might be that of Krall’s Cessna 172S Skyhawk about two miles off the north coast of Maui. The debris included a wheel that appears to match the popular single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft, the Coast Guard reported.
An official identification has yet to be made.
"Based on the details of the incident and what we know in the debris, the Coast Guard is pretty confident that it is highly likely that it (the crash) is not survivable," said Coast Guard Lt. Leigh Cotterell.
Krall, 53, was flying alone in the four-seat aircraft when it disappeared off radar Saturday night.
The French-born pastry chef and baker opened Maui Bake Shop more than 20 years ago in the old Yokouchi family building, which he and his wife, Claire Fujii-Krall, own.
The bakery, renown for its European-style breads and pastries as well as its savory offerings, is popular among locals and is frequently mentioned in tourist guidebooks.
The Kralls briefly turned over their business to new owners in 2009 but resumed control a year later.
A call was made to the shop Sunday, but the Star-Advertiser was told Fujii-Krall would not be available for comment.
Despite the Coast Guard’s grim assessment of the situation, friends of the Kralls said they aren’t ready to assume anything yet.
"We’re not giving up hope," said Scott McCalister, who manages the Northshore Hostel in space leased from Krall.
A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Barbers Point Air Station, the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Ahi from Honolulu, and response boat crews from Coast Guard Station Maui searched the area Saturday night and Sunday.
The Maui Fire and Police departments conducted land searches without locating any signs of aircraft debris. The Coast Guard has asked the public to report any aircraft debris to police.
The Cessna left Kahului Airport at about 7 p.m. Saturday, heading toward Molokai.
The plane disappeared from radar about 30 minutes later, when it was about 2.5 miles north of Maui, the Coast Guard said.
Cotterell said the situation will be re-evaluated today to determine whether the search will resume.
