Of the nine passengers aboard the small Makani Kai Air plane flight that crashed off the shore of Molokai Wednesday night, eight survived. The lone fatality was Loretta Fuddy, infamous for her "I have seen the original records" confirmation of the long-form birth certificate of the US President in 2011. Fuddy, who was 65 years old and had served as Hawaii's state health director since January 2011, is described as "selfless, utterly dedicated, and committed" is a "terrible loss for the state".
Via USA Today, [4]
The plane, carrying a pilot and eight passengers, went down Wednesday in the water a half mile off the Hawaiian island of Molokai, the Maui Fire Department said. The lone fatality was Loretta Fuddy, who has served as state health director since January 2011.
Fuddy, 65, made national news in April 2011 when she verified the authenticity of certified copies of President Obama's birth certificate. Obama had requested the release to curb claims by so-called "birthers" that he was born in Kenya and not eligible to be president.
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Makani Kai Air President Richard Schuman told Honolulu-based KITV that he spoke with the pilot of the single-engine turboprop Cessna Grand Caravan after the crash.
"What he reported is after takeoff ... there was catastrophic engine failure," Schuman said. "He did the best he can to bring the aircraft down safely and he got everybody out of the aircraft."
Schuman said the cause of the engine failure had not yet been determined.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Melissa McKenzie said a Coast Guard helicopter got three passengers out of the water while Maui fire crews picked up five people. One person swam ashore.
Paging Donald Trump...