Plane's wreckage floating off Maui

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A fisherman trolling off East Maui yesterday spotted the wreckage of an airplane that crashed 94 miles north of Maui on Nov. 15.

Coast Guard spokesman Lt. John Titchen said the wreckage was about 10 miles from shore and most of the plane was intact. Titchen said the Coast Guard wanted to warn boaters that the wreckage was out there and to be cautious.

"Apparently it's just one large piece and it's notable because it's about 4 feet above the water so we would want mariners to exercise caution," Titchen said.

On Sunday, another fisherman recovered the left wing of the aircraft off Makapu'u. The Federal Aviation Administration retrieved the wing as part of its investigation.

The plane belonged to retired Coast Guard pilot Lt. Cmdr. William Swears. Swears was flying his single-engine Cozy Canard Pusher, an experimental-type aircraft, from Honolulu to San Francisco when he reported engine trouble about 175 miles north of Maui.

Swears turned the plane toward Maui, but was forced to ditch the aircraft. He was rescued by the Coast Guard and treated at Maui Memorial Medical Centers suffering from cracked vertebrae, chemical burns from spilling fuel, and cuts and bruises.

The plane is buoyant because it is made mostly of fiberglass.

"Truthfully, if it's been in the water through the rough surf that we just had out of the east, I would venture to guess that it's not going to break up," Titchen said. "If it does in fact come in closer to shore, we would like people to be careful."

Titchen said beachgoers and boaters should call local authorities if the plane does wash ashore. The plane's number is N534S, he said.

Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.