NTSB recovered the Flight recorders and wreckage of TransAir flight 810 cargo jet successfully from Pacific Ocean near Honolulu.
Both flight recorders and all major components of a cargo jet have been successfully recovered from the Pacific Ocean, the National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday.
“The recovery of the recorders and virtually the entire airplane represents a major step forward in the investigation,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer L. Homendy. “We are so appreciative of the collaborative efforts of the federal and state agencies, parties and contractors that contributed to this successful outcome.”
An underwater survey of the accident site conducted in July revealed that the fuselage broke into two pieces: the aft section with the wings and tail attached, and the forward section that includes the cockpit. Both engines separated from the wings at impact. The forward landing gear assembly also separated from the fuselage.
Four of the six cargo containers remained in the aft section of the fuselage; the other two containers were found separate but near the wreckage. A pallet of cargo was found during the initial search operation.
In the months following the accident, TransAir’s insurance provider contracted with several companies to recover the wreckage and cargo. These included the Eclipse Group, which operates the Bold Horizon, a San Diego-based research vessel equipped with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and other underwater retrieval equipment.
A California-based barge, the Salta Verde, was contracted to lift the two sections of the fuselage and transport them to shore in Honolulu.
On the morning of Oct. 12, the Bold Horizon left port in Honolulu for the recovery site with two NTSB investigators, two engineers from Boeing and a team of recovery specialists. After the ROV was used to rig the engines with cables and front landing gear assembly with a strap, all three items were recovered and brought to shore on Oct. 17.
The Bold Horizon set off again on Oct. 18 to recover the fuselage. The forward section of the fuselage, which measures 37 feet long and weighs about 15,500 pounds, was recovered to the barge on Oct. 20 and brought to shore at Barbers Point in Kapolei, Hawaii, on Oct. 22.
Throughout the course of the recovery operation, the NTSB coordinated efforts with state and federal agencies, including the Hawaii Department of Health; Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to ensure that any adverse effects on the environment or sea life were minimized.
In addition, a protected species observer was aboard to monitor for encounters with Endangered Species Act-listed species, including false killer whales, Hawaiian monk seals, and sea turtles. No endangered species were encountered during the operation.
The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder will be transported to the NTSB laboratory in Washington where they will be cleaned, dried, downloaded and analyzed.
Investigators will perform a detailed documentation of both sections of the fuselage, which will remain in Hawaii.
Background :
Transair Flight 810, a Boeing 737-200 freighter flying from Honolulu International Airport to Kahului Airport on the Hawaiian island of Maui, experienced mechanical issues and crashed shortly after takeoff in the early morning of July 2, 2021.
The wreckage had come to a rest on an ocean shelf at a depth ranging from 350-450 feet.
46 year old Transair Boeing 737-200C freighter (N810TA) made a ditching about 2 miles off coast Kalaeloa Airport, while trying to make an emergency landing at Honolulu Airport just after take-off.
The aircraft was carrying out a flight (T4810) from Honolulu to Kahului with 2 pilots on board and had to turn back due to engine malfunction.
Aircraft that belonged to Rhoades Aviation , departed Honolulu at 11:33 UTC. Maximum altitude of 2125 ft (AMSL) reached at around 11:36 as per the ADS-B data.
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The Boeing 737-200C aircraft bearing MSN 21116 was delivered first in the year 1975 to Pacific Western Airlines. It began operations for Transair in 2014 under Rhoades Aviation.
If a report on air traffic control audio is to be believed, Cockpit had reported that they lost engine number-1 and also suspected they are going to lose engine - 2 "because it's running very hot."
Pictures and Report : NTSB.
