What happened
During a scheduled flight from Kadena to Spokane, the crew encountered significant technical difficulties while cruising over the Pacific Ocean. The pilot informed air traffic control of the situation and declared an intention to attempt an emergency landing. Unable to reach land, the aircraft was ditched in open water approximately 1,206 miles southwest of Hawaii.
Search and rescue operations were initiated immediately following the incident. Rescue teams arrived at the scene roughly forty hours after the ditching event. During the recovery operation, thirty-three individuals were successfully evacuated from the wreckage. Tragically, four people lost their lives in the accident.