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CTY MOLOKAI CRASH - 11 December 2013- One of two Makani Kai Air Cessna on the airfield at Lagoon Drive on Wednesday. One Cessna aircraft crashed into the waters off of Kalaupapa
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The airplane in a Dec. 11 crash, in which state Health Director Loretta Fuddy died during rescue efforts, sustained "substantial damage" after a loss of engine power, according to a preliminary report Monday from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff a loud bang was heard, and there was a total loss of power.
The Cessna operated by Makani Kai Air with nine people on board glided to a landing at sea two minutes after taking off from Kalaupapa Airport and sank after about 25 minutes.
"All the passengers put on their life preservers and exited the airplane," the report said. "U.S. Coast Guard and Maui Fire and Rescue personnel recovered the passengers approximately 80 minutes later."
The report notes that the pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, five passengers received minor injuries and one passenger was "fatally injured," without identifying Fuddy.
The brief, 12-sentence report could be followed by a much longer wait for information. A full report with probable cause and recommendations could take between a year and 18 months.
The cause of Fuddy’s death still hasn’t been released, meanwhile.
An autopsy was conducted at Molokai General Hospital by the Maui County coroner.
Police said the coroner must review witness statements obtained by the NTSB before releasing the final report.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.