Lawmaker urges scrutiny of copter tours

HONOLULU — Officials reported three children and four adults were killed in a Hawaii tour helicopter crash, and U.S. Rep. Ed Case called Saturday for greater regulation in the industry.

“Tour helicopter and small aircraft operations are not safe, and innocent lives are paying the price,” Case said.

The helicopter was set to tour the rugged and remote Kauai’s Na Pali Coast, which is one of the most dramatic and sought-after destinations in Hawaii and was featured in the film Jurassic Park. The aircraft crashed at the top of a mountain on the island of Kauai, authorities said.

In a statement Saturday, police said the flight manifest listed the pilot as Paul Matero, 69, of Wailua, Hawaii. Two passengers were named as 47-year-old Amy Gannon and 13-year-old Jocelyn Gannon of Wisconsin. The four other passengers are believed to be from Switzerland, police said, but their identities have not yet been released.

Case, D-Hawaii, cited fatal accidents over the years, blaming the Federal Aviation Administration for not taking National Transportation Safety Board improvement efforts seriously and the tour industry for not regulating itself.

The FAA, however, said it conducts random and regular surveillance on all Hawaii air tour operators and ensures companies address any problems, agency spokesman Ian Gregor said in an email. He said the FAA does not have concerns about the industry statewide.