Molokai-to-Kahului approach, Maui, Hawaii, United States
The White Object on the Molokai to Maui Approach
Passenger Tami Dixon told Hawaii News Now that as a Mokulele flight from Molokai approached Kahului on 9 July 2026 and emerged from cloud, she saw a white object near the aircraft and believed the pilots turned right in response. Mokulele told the station it had no record of a near miss. Dixon herse
Why This Case Matters
A useful aviation-safety report because a named passenger and airline response are both on record, but the pilots have not publicly corroborated the object or avoidance manoeuvre.
Chronology
- 9 Jul 2026 flight/claimed encounter
- passenger observes white object after emerging from cloud
- she interprets right turn as avoidance
- 15 Jul Hawaii News Now publishes interview and airline response
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: Drone is the witness's own leading possibility; bird, cloud fragment/visual illusion or normal aircraft manoeuvre cannot be excluded.
What Remains Unresolved
- Flight number/tail
- pilot statements
- ADS-B/flight track
- exact position/altitude
- whether turn was routine
- any FAA occurrence report
- object range and size.
Key Takeaways
- Do not describe this as a confirmed pilot near-miss. It is a passenger report explicitly contradicted in part by the airline's statement that it has no near-miss record.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: