Pilot hurt slightly in hard landing

HILO » A twin-engine Comanche plane piloted by a student made a hard landing at Kona Airport at 3:51 p.m. Sunday and sustained minor damage, the state Department of Transportation said.

Police said the pilot, a 52-year-old man whose name was not released, suffered a scraped knee but refused treatment. The 43-year-old female instructor was not injured.

The pilot made a hard landing on the runway, causing the plane to veer off 60 feet into a lava field. The plane's right wing was damaged, and some fuel was spilled, police said.

The plane is owned by PAP LLC, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA is investigating the incident, a spokesman said.

Lingle urges airport transit stop

Gov. Linda Lingle repeated yesterday her support of a rail transit line that goes by Honolulu Airport, but said it was unlikely any state resources would be used as the project moves forward.

The City Council already has adopted a route for the proposed $4 billion rail transit system that would go through Salt Lake, but recently revived the idea of having it run to the airport.

Lingle has favored that route from the beginning.

“;This is a city and county project, but as you know, when this issue first came up, I came out publicly and said that the rail should be to the airport,”; Lingle said yesterday at a news conference in her office. “;I know it's been couched as a tourism issue, but it's really for the thousands of people that work at the airport, as well.

“;It just makes more sense. I think it's the right decision, and I hope it moves forward,”; Lingle said.

She added that with the state facing a potential $1 billion budget deficit over the next fiscal biennium, allocation of any state money for the project is unlikely.

“;This is a city project, so all the money they get would be money they raise or they get from the federal government,”; Lingle said.

Thanksgiving meal aid sought

The annual Thanksgiving of Hope in Chinatown, organized by Sharon Black's Kau Kau Wagon, is expecting to feed well more than 800 homeless and needy people this year.

The meal will be served at 1 p.m. Saturday at Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park (former Chinatown Gateway Park) at Hotel and Bethel streets downtown. Donated food may be dropped off at 11:30 a.m.

Still needed are ready-to-serve hot items: hams, mashed potatoes, yams, corn, string beans and stuffing. Other items needed are: pies, cranberry sauce, whipped cream, fresh fruits and butter.

Most badly needed are 15 tables; there is also still a shortage of chairs, tarps, tents, tablecloths, garbage bags, serving and eating utensils, Sterno cans, plates, foil, “;clamshell”; takeout plates, cups, serving gloves and a few quiet generators.

Black is also collecting toiletry items, stuffed animals, clothes and gift certificates from fast-food restaurants.

E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)with any questions or donations. The Kau Kau Wagon is a nonprofit group, and all donations are tax-deductible. Monetary gifts can be made at any Bank of Hawaii branch; or mail them to Bank of Hawaii, P.O. Box 3830, Honolulu 96817.

Make checks out to Kau Kau Wagon, and write “;Account number 0005-2823330”; in the memo line.

UH could save $15,000 on energy

Removing 2,000 light bulbs at Saunders Hall will save an estimated $15,000 a year for the University of Hawaii at Manoa, according to a UH news release.

The project by the Sustainable Saunders Initiative was devised as a way to save energy by “;delamping,”; or reducing building lighting. Student volunteers surveyed people who use Saunders Hall and found that overly bright lights were a major complaint.

After a pilot test in 30 offices, most people reported better satisfaction with their office lighting, and there were substantial drops in the number of people reporting stress, eyestrain and headaches. Removing the light bulbs will reduce energy use by 60,000 kilowatt-hours per year, said Jeremy Kowalczyk, a graduate student in physics.