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Four friends killed in a single-engine plane crash are remembered by loved ones for their kind hearts and contagious positivity.
The bodies of Dean Hutton, Gerrit Evensen, Heather Riley and Alexis Aaron were discovered late Saturday afternoon at the wreckage of the aircraft in the Waianae Mountains above Kunia. The Beech 19A, manufactured in 1969, took off from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport for a sunset flight Friday.
Hutton, 29, was flying the four-seater. Evensen, a 28-year-old Punahou alumnus, his girlfriend, Riley, 27, and Aaron, 32, were the passengers.
The owner of the plane said Sunday he is saddened by the crash but that the plane was fit to fly.
“I am deeply saddened by this tragic event and my prayers go out to all affected,” said Jahn Mueller, owner of the plane and Aircraft Maintenance and Flight School Hawaii on Lagoon Drive. “I don’t want to speculate on the cause of this accident as that will be determined by professionals in due time.”
FAA records confirm that Mueller, who also goes by John, was also the owner of the single-engine Piper PA298 airplane that crash-landed beneath Moanalua Freeway on June 30, seriously injuring three people. Mueller declined to comment Sunday about the June 30 crash landing.
Hutton’s uncle, Scott Potwin, said the last time his nephew piloted the single-
engine aircraft, it had lost all power and communications.
Mueller said it was the
alternator that caused the problem, and it was fixed before Hutton got back in the aircraft Friday.
“He had an alternator
issue several flights ago,
and he handled it like a professional, and the aircraft was repaired and returned to service,” he said.
Mueller said the plane was “airworthy” when he handed it over to Hutton and his passengers.
“The pilot has the final say on whether the plane is airworthy. From maintenance it was airworthy and ready to fly,” he said. Hutton had amassed over 170 hours of flying time.
At 11 a.m. Saturday,
Mueller called air traffic control officials after returning to work and finding the plane missing. Mueller said he made several attempts to call Hutton.
“I left two voice messages on his cellphone and a text message,” Mueller said. “When he didn’t respond, that’s when I initiated the search and rescue with the tower.”
Friday at 6:37 p.m. was the last time Hutton communicated with air traffic control.
A flight plan was not on file for the single-engine plane, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer.
“Flight plans are optional and at the pilot’s discretion,” Kenitzer said. “Air traffic is not required to track aircrafts that have not filed a flight plan. According to Federal regulations, the pilot of the aircraft has the ultimate responsibility for the operation of his aircraft.”
Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Levasseur, spokeswoman for the Coast Guard, said crews spotted the plane Saturday afternoon after picking up the signal of an emergency locator transmitter.
“There was transmission picked up in that area (but) it was visually spotted by helicopter air crew,” Levasseur said.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash. The wreckage remained on the mountain ridge Sunday.
Friends and family Sunday took to social media to celebrate the lives of the four.
Hutton, affectionately called Dingo by friends, is remembered for his contagious positivity and great appreciation for life.
“This is a guy who is always positive, laughing, always on a mission, living every single day like it was a great adventure,” said Andy Lassiter in a comment on Hutton’s Facebook page. “In his time on earth he truly lived each day to the fullest, enjoying the finer points of surfing, fishing, skating, traveling, flying and friendship.”
Lealyn Poponi, 41, one of Riley’s closet friends on the island, said she was very ambitious and loved by everyone.
“She was the most incredible woman I have ever met,” Poponi said. “She was so encouraging. She was doing all of these things but tooting everyone else’s horn. She was the real deal.”
Riley’s parents live in Virginia. Riley and Evensen lived together on the Evensen family property in Kaneohe.
Doorae Shin, a friend of Riley and Evensen, said the two inspired others.
“You would just walk into the room and they would be the happiest people, always smiling and super loving. They were so friendly and really in love with life, excited to be wherever they were,” she said. “People just loved them because their energy was so positive.”
Evensen had recently opened his own business, Hawaii Ecological Landscape Design. Riley was also an entrepreneur who owned Hawaii Design Studios and was a director at Blue+Green Innovations.
Aaron was a fire dancer and production manager at Honey Girl Organics.
“She just brought out the best in every single human she touched,” said Kimberly McGuire, Aaron’s roommate. “She was an absolute light.”
The HI VibeTribe, a community to which Riley, Aaron and Evensen belonged, are honoring the lost members at 5 p.m Aug. 11 at Magic Island.
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