1 dead, 2 missing after tourist helicopter crashes off Hawaiian island of Kauai

HONOLULU (AP) — A tour company helicopter crashed off the Hawaiian island of Kauai, police said, killing one person and leaving two missing in the latest in a series of crashes to plague the industry in recent years.

A hiker on the Kalalau trail reported seeing the helicopter crash into the water about a quarter of a mile (0.4 kilometers) off the Na Pali Coast on Thursday afternoon and contacted the fire department, officials said.

The Robinson R44 helicopter was part of Ali’i Kauai Air Tours & Charters, authorities said.

The company bills itself as the only Hawaiian-family-owned and -operated air tour company on Kauai, and its website said it has more than three decades of flying experience. It offers private tours by plane or helicopter.

“Preliminary information indicates that the pilot on board was a local resident, and the two passengers on board are believed to be visitors from the mainland,” Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck said at a news conference Friday. Authorities did not provide their identities.

Kauai lifeguards on personal watercraft recovered one body from the water Thursday. They also saw what appeared to be an oil slick on the water, along with some small pieces of floating debris, Kauai Fire Chief Michael Gibson said.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Kauai crews continued searching Friday for the two people in the water.

The weather at the time was normal for this time of year with winds of about 15 mph to 25 mph, light clouds and scattered showers, Gibson said: “We do not believe the weather was a concern.”

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. Once the aircraft is recovered, an NTSB investigator will begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft, the agency said Friday. The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation.

Last year the Federal Aviation Administration established a new process for air tour operators in Hawaii to be approved to fly at lower altitudes following other fatal crashes.

Tour operators can fly at 1,500 feet (460 meters) unless they have authorization to go lower. The FAA said it would review each operator’s safety plan before issuing permission.

The move came after three deadly crashes in 2019, including one that killed a pilot and six passengers on the Na Pali Coast. The NTSB blamed the crash on the pilot’s decision to continue flying in bad weather.

Three people died when a tour helicopter crashed in a Honolulu suburb, and 11 were killed when their skydiving plane went down after takeoff on Oahu’s North Shore. Federal investigators blamed that crash on the pilot’s aggressive takeoff.

Another helicopter crashed into a remote Big Island lava field during a sunset tour in June 2022, injuring the six people on board.

Ladd Sanger, a Texas-based aviation attorney and helicopter pilot, has handled air tour crash litigation in Hawaii and has flown a helicopter over Kauai.

The latest crash shows it's not prudent to be flying single-engine helicopters over Hawaii, including off Kauai's rugged coastline, he said.

“If there is an engine problem on Kauai, it is very likely going to be a terrible outcome,” he said. “It is a really rough island, and there are so few places to land a helicopter.”

A Robinson R44 is also more susceptible to Hawaii's often-changing climates, he said.

“Kauai is gorgeous, and there is no way to see the beauty of Kauai but from a helicopter,” he said. “But it needs to be the right helicopter.”

Not many Hawaii tour companies operate twin-engine turbine helicopters because they're more expensive, Sanger said.

“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those affected,” David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, said in a statement. “Safety is our highest priority, and we are cooperating fully with all investigating authorities to understand the circumstances surrounding this event.”

Robinson helicopters, including the R44 model, “have a proven track record of safe operation across diverse and challenging environments, from the mountainous terrain of Switzerland to the tropical climate of Hawaii,” the company said. “Robinson helicopters have been operating safely in Hawaii since the 1980s, with some operators flying up to 16,000 flight hours a year without incident.”

While the federal government generally controls air safety measures, Hawaii lawmakers have tried to indirectly make helicopter tours safer, said state Rep. Nadine Nakamura, whose Kauai district includes the Na Pali Coast.

But a bill last session attempting to increase aircraft liability insurance didn't make it to the governor's desk, she said.

She noted that past crashes have been due to a variety of issues including weather and mechanical problems.

“And that's what visitors have to weigh — that there have been crashes in the past,” she said. “People have to balance their desire to see remote and exotic places, from a vantage point that is quite stunning, to the risks involved.”

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Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.