LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Many residents of Lake and Napa counties noticed an unusual sight on Friday morning when a commercial airplane began circling repeatedly overhead.

Hawaiian Airlines 19 left Sacramento International Airport, or SMF, shortly before 7:30 a.m. en route to Honolulu, according to the airlines’ Web site.

However, over the course of the next hour and a half the plane was seen to circle over Lake and Napa counties around half a dozen times, according to the plane tracking Web site,
www.flightradar24.com .

Later on Friday, Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva explained in an email response to Lake County News’ inquiry about the situation that the plane eventually returned to the Sacramento airport.

“About 45 minutes into the flight to Honolulu, HA19 returned to SMF to have a cockpit indicator light inspected,” Da Silva said. “No emergency was declared, and the flight landed without incident.”

Da Silva said passengers subsequently deplaned and the flight was rescheduled.

Hawaiian Airlines 19 was set to depart again at 7:25 a.m. Saturday but is being delayed until 3 p.m., according to the Hawaiian Airlines Web site.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.