Student pilot crashes in solo-flight takeoff

A 35-year-old student pilot sustained minor injuries when he crashed in a single-engine Cessna aircraft while taking off on a solo flight at the Honolulu Airport yesterday morning, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said.

The crash totaled the Cessna 172, but the pilot suffered only minor injuries to his hand and lower left leg, said DOT spokeswoman Tammy Mori.

The crash closed a runway at the airport for about 90 minutes, but commercial aircraft were able to use alternate runways and no flights were delayed, Mori said.

Wind shear might have caused the 11:11 a.m. crash, Mori said, adding that the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the incident.

Legislators to discuss possible Micronesian health care cuts

Four legislative committees are meeting Wednesday at the state Capitol to delve into potential cuts in state-provided health care coverage for Micronesians.

A new state health plan called “;Basic Health Hawaii”; would have eliminated coverage for lifesaving dialysis or chemotherapy treatments for approximately 7,500 Pacific Islanders.

A federal court ruling has put the cuts on hold.

Migrants from Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau argue that health care was among the promises the U.S. government made after U.S. nuclear weapons tests on their home islands.

Retired foreign military officers meet

Nine retired senior admirals and generals—five from China and four from U.S.—are meeting in Hawaii this weekend to promote friendship and goodwill and discuss military matters on an informal basis.

Their first meeting was held last year in China.

The China Association for International Friendly Contact coordinated the trip for China, and the Hawaii Chinese Chamber of Commerce hosted a dinner last night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom.

Members of the U.S. delegation are retired Adm. William A. “;Bill”; Owens, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; retired Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, former chief of staff of the Air Force; retired Gen. Charles E. Wilhelm, former commander of U.S. Southern Command; and retired Gen. Dennis Reimer, former Army chief of staff.

Chinese delegation members are retired Gen. Xiong Guangkai, former deputy chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army; retired Air Force Gen. Yu Zhenwu, former commander of the PLA Air Force; retired Gen. Li Qianyuanl, former commander of the Lanzhou Military Area Command; retired Gen. Pei Huailia, former president of the National Defense University of the PLA, and retired Vice Adm. Zhao Guojun, former commander of the East Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Kauai festival draws officials from Japan

LIHUE» A delegation of 80 officials from three Japanese cities is on Kauai this weekend.

The visitors are participating in the 9th annual Matsuri Kauai Festival and commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Kauai Japanese Cultural Society.

Many of the visitors are from two sister cities: Suo Oshima in Yamaguchi prefecture and Moriyama City in Shiga prefecture. Officials are also here from Kauai's friendship city of Iwaki in Fukushima prefecture.

Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. said these relationships reinforce Kauai's cultural and historic bonds and help the island maintain its cultural diversity.