Free Republic

The health director who approved the release of President Obama’s birth certificate has died in a plane crash, Hawaiian officials said Thursday. Loretta Fuddy died after the Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft she was travelling on went down shortly after leaving Kalaupapa Airport at around 3:15 p.m. local time (10:15 a.m. ET) on Wednesday. The other eight people on board were rescued, Richard Schuman, president of Makani Kai Air, told NBC News early Thursday, adding that that there was no indication as to why the plane had crashed. Fuddy hit the headlines two years ago when she approved a waiver request...

KHON-TV reported that Hawaii Department of Health Director Loretta Fuddy died when the Makani Kai Cessna Grand Caravan crashed half a mile off the north shore of Molokai. Fuddy was one of eight passengers on board the plane in addition to the pilot, and the only one who did not survive. The plane took off at approximately 3:35 p.m. Wednesday from the Kalaupapa Peninsula bound for Honolulu. In addition to Fuddy, the department's deputy director, Keith Yamamoto, was also booked on the flight, department spokeswoman Janice Okubo told the Associated Press. Makani Kai Air has said that the pilot did...