Cockpit light prompts return to Honolulu

A Hawaiian Airlines plane headed for Australia with 246 people on board turned back an hour into its flight and returned to Honolulu Airport Monday after a cockpit light indicated an engine system problem.

Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Keoni Wagner said Flight 451 to Sydney was expected to take off at 11 p.m. Monday. Its original departure was about 12:30 p.m.

Another passenger jet was brought in to replace the other aircraft, and Hawaiian was looking into why the system light went on.

"It’s not a common problem," Wagner said. "It was nonspecific so they have to inspect the system to figure out whether there was a problem or not."

He said the passengers were taken to Waikiki, and the airline was providing dinner for them.

Ideas sought for preserving public spaces

A nine-member advisory commission wants to find out from the public about places on Kauai that they feel should be preserved and protected.

The Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund Commission is seeking the information so it can draft recommendations to the county council on which sites should be acquired using the Open Space Fund.

The meetings will be held on Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the following locations:

» Wednesday: Waimea Neighborhood Center

» May 29: Koloa Neighborhood Center, old courthouse annex

» June 12: Lihue Civic Center, Moikeha Building, meeting room 2A/B

» June 26: Kapaa Neighborhood Center

» July 24: Princeville Community Center

The public also has the opportunity to participate in the commission’s annual survey, which can be completed online at www.kauai.gov/OpenSpaceSurvey.

Sugar company loses $25,000 in cane burning

Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. suffered an estimated $25,000 in losses from an unscheduled cane burning in Paia off Baldwin Avenue, according to Maui County fire officials.

Officials said an estimated 5 acres were lost in the fire Sunday afternoon.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was unknown.

Hawaiian Commercial crews and equipment helped put out the blaze after fire officials contained it. The fire was initially reported at 2:34 p.m.