Maui airport evacuated
| • | Stranded passengers try to go with flow |
| • | New barriers installed at Honolulu airport to prevent similar breach |
By Timothy Hurley and Christie Wilson
Advertiser Maui Bureau
KAHULUI, Maui — In a bizarre incident that grounded thousands of passengers trying to fly out of Maui yesterday, a 52-year-old Ha'iku, Maui, man drove his SUV into the ticket lobby of Kahului Airport and set the vehicle on fire.
KHNL-TV
No one was hurt, but the airport was evacuated shortly after the 7:58 a.m. incident and travelers were stranded for most of the day.
In this image from KHNL-TV, airport security officers apprehend a 52-year-old HaIiku, Maui, man who drove his SUV into the ticket lobby at Kahului Airport and set the vehicle on fire. The incident grounded thousands of passengers.
The airport was reopened for interisland departures starting at 5:30 p.m., and full operations were restored by 7:30 p.m. Some airlines were scrambling to reschedule Mainland flights last night, while others postponed flights until this morning.
The FBI and Maui Police Department investigators were questioning the suspect, identified as Paul Blatchley, yesterday; officials said they did not believe the incident was connected to terrorism.
Officials said the man drove his dark blue Dodge Durango with Massachusetts plates up the crosswalk curb and into the south end of the open-air ticket lobby, parking it near the United and Northwest airline ticket counters. He then poured flammable liquid into the back seat and set it on fire, setting off the sprinklers and scorching the ceiling of the lobby.
One witness, Arthur's Limousine Service driver Martin Badua, was dropping off passengers at the airport when he saw the Durango in flames inside the terminal. "The guy tried to run but security tackled him. He got up and they tackled him again and finally put the handcuffs on him," Badua said. "Then they started evacuating.
"The heat started to melt the car windows and it exploded. Everybody was hitting the ground because of the glass."
Some onlookers said the man was yelling that he wanted to die.
Kapa'a High School senior Andrew Salvador, 18, who was on Maui for a swim meet, said the man was outside the burning car and tried to climb into it but the flames pushed him back. The man tried again but was tackled by four or five security personnel and handcuffed.
"I thought there's a crazy guy trying to kill himself," Salvador said.
The flames, which gutted the vehicle's interior and damaged some airport ceiling tiles, were extinguished within minutes by the lobby's sprinklers, as well as airport personnel and Maui County fire crew members. A flare-up also was extinguished, officials said.
The man was being held at the Wailuku police cellblock on suspicion of first-degree criminal property damage, but additional state and federal charges were pending, said Scott Ishikawa, a spokesman for the state Transportation Department.
While incoming flights continued to land yesterday morning, outgoing passenger flights were halted because of uncertainty over whether the screening equipment was damaged, said Jon Sakamoto, Maui airports manager.
Arriving passengers were bused to a nearby intersection for pickup by their tour groups or relatives. Rental-car companies also helped move passengers. Others walked out of the airport, unable to drive vehicles still sitting in the parking lot because of the lock down.
Maui County opened War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku as a temporary shelter for passengers left in the lurch.
The state and Maui Civil Defense worked with the Maui Hotel Association and Maui Visitors Bureau to book hotel rooms for visitors needing to stay overnight.
One reason no one was hurt was that few, if any, passengers were in that section of the lobby. Only interisland flights were operating at that time, and passengers were being processed at the north end of the terminal.
Authorities cordoned off the lobby, and the Transportation Security Administration sent bomb-sniffing dogs to search for possible explosives within the SUV. Airport officials could not begin their cleanup until after the dogs had finished their work.
Ishikawa said the Transportation Department would look into the possibility of installing a barrier to prevent future incidents.
Authorities didn't estimate how many passengers were affected. Sakamoto said the airport averages 23 Mainland flights and 45 interisland flights on a typical Sunday. Daily traffic numbers total about 6,000 passengers going in and about that many going out, he said.
Several interisland flights were canceled.
Jeff Tarpey, United Airlines spokesman, said all six United flights were expected to leave last night. That includes two that were postponed from the afternoon.
Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com. Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com. Both may be reached at (808) 244-4880.
