A Boeing 737 cargo plane has been forced to land in the sea off the coast of Honolulu after both its engines failed - leaving one pilot fighting for his life.
The two airmen were rescued from the water near West Oahu in Hawaii after they frantically radioed air traffic control to tell them "it doesn't look good here".
Coast Guard members rushed in to lift them out of the ocean after they sent out alarms that one engine was already gone and the other was "running very hot".
One pilot, 58, was seriously injured and taken to hospital for treatment while the other, 50, who was less severely harmed, was taken back to shore by boat.
"Rhoades 810, we've lost an engine. We're on a 220 heading," one of the pilots told Honolulu air traffic control, giving the compass reading.
A few minutes later they reported: "'We've lost number one engine, we're coming straight to the airport.
"We're going to need the fire department, there's a chance we're going to lose the other engine, it's running very hot.
"It doesn't look good here - you may want to let the coastguard know as well."
The report of a splashdown came at 1.40am and around an hour later a Coast Guard helicopter spotted the debris and two people in the water, according to US Coast Guard Lt. Commander Karin Evelyn.
The 58-year-old pilot was airlifted into Queen's Medical Centre where he remains in an intensive care unit in critical condition, Queen's officials have said.
The pilot who was rescued by boat was in serious condition with a head injury and multiple lacerations.
The Transair Boeing 737-200 cargo plane was en route to Maui from Honolulu when the pilots reported that one engine was down.
Tracking data from RadarBox.com showed that the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of just 2,125 feet.
Initial reports suggested that there was not enough altitude to return to Honolulu, forcing the aircraft to ditch into the Pacific ocean.
The plane was operated by Rhoades Aviation Inc, which does business as Transair, one of Hawaii's biggest air cargo carriers.
Shares of Boeing fell one per cent in Friday morning trading after the loss of both engines sparked serious alarm.
The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday afternoon said it was sending seven investigators.
Boeing said it was "aware of the reports out of Honolulu, Hawaii and are closely monitoring the situation. We are in contact with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and are working to gather more information".
