Originally Posted by
eagleflyer
go mid-flight? There‘s an awful lot of water around....it‘s either RTB or press on I would say.
Exactly! There are
no alternates between North America and Hawaii so if they were past half way the only reasonable thing to do is keep going (it's also why 180 minute ETOPS is a must to operate between NA and the Hawaiian Islands).
There was a note that Maui would have been a few minutes closer but the difference was so slight they elected to land at the original destination of Honolulu. I suppose the decision to bypass Maui could be nitpicked, but not the decision to continue to the Hawaiian Islands. Oh, and remember, they didn't shut down the engine, just reduced the power.