Hawaiian Airlines Flight 481 Leaves Runway In Tahiti

HONOLULU, December 24, 2000 -- At approximately 11:59 p.m. local time in Tahiti (11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time) on Saturday, December 23, Hawaiian Airlines Flight 481, a scheduled nonstop flight from Honolulu to Papeete, Tahiti, slid off the end of the runway at Papeete after landing in heavy rain. There were no injuries reported among the 139 passengers or 15 crew members aboard the flight.

Passengers were evacuated from the aircraft after it came to a stop with its nose gear resting in water.

The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 leased by Hawaiian Airlines, was manufactured in 1979 and had last been through a scheduled maintenance check on November 29, 2000.

Hawaiian Airlines has notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).