Remains of six people found after Hawaii sightseeing helicopter crash
HONOLULU — The remains of six people were found Friday after a helicopter on a tour of one of Hawaii’s most rugged and remote coastlines crashed at the top of a mountain on Kauai.
Officials said there were no indications of survivors and a search for the last person yet to be recovered would resume this morning, depending on weather. Those who were recovered have not been identified and their families were being notified, authorities said.
A search began for the helicopter carrying a pilot and six passengers from two families after it was reported overdue Thursday evening from a tour of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast. Two passengers were believed to be minors, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Steep terrain, low visibility, choppy seas and rain had complicated the search, the agency said.
The helicopter company, identified as Safari Helicopters, contacted the Coast Guard about 6 p.m. Thursday to say the aircraft was about 30 minutes overdue, authorities said.
A person who answered the phone at a number listed for Safari Helicopters declined to comment and hung up.
According to a preliminary report, the pilot said the tour was leaving the Waimea Canyon area, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” about 4:40 p.m., which was the last contact with the helicopter, Kauai police said.
The Eurocopter AS350 has an emergency electronic locator transmitter, but no signals were received. The locator devices are designed to activate when an aircraft crashes, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor wrote in an email.
The FAA requires the locators to be able to withstand impact. However, it is possible for the device to stop working in an extreme crash, Gregor said.
He said the agency is looking at the company’s safety record, but likely won’t have a full report until Monday. It’s investigating along with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
Democratic Congressman Ed Case of Hawaii cited fatal accidents over the years, blaming the FAA for not taking NTSB safety improvement efforts seriously and the industry for not regulating itself. He said “innocent lives are paying the price.”
The FAA said it conducts random and regular surveillance on all Hawaiian air-tour operators and ensures companies address any issues. Gregor said the agency does not have concerns about the industry statewide.
The NTSB aviation accident database lists nine crashes of Hawaii helicopter sightseeing flights in the past 10 years, including three involving fatalities.
After a Hawaii skydiving plane crashed and killed 11 people in
June, the NTSB called on the FAA to tighten its regulations governing parachute operations. The FAA said at the time that it had made changes to address NTSB recommendations.
The chopper that crashed this week along a route used by all tour helicopters was found in a mountainous region inland from the Na Pali Coast, which is one of the most dramatic and soughtafter destinations in Hawaii and was featured in the film Jurassic Park. Towering mountains with deep ravines and huge waterfalls make up the interior of the uninhabited state park. Red rock cliffs with thick jungle canopies rise from the Pacific Ocean to more than 1,200 metres high.
Ladd Sanger, a Texas-based aviation lawyer and helicopter pilot who has handled several crash cases involving similar helicopters in Hawaii, said tour operators on Kauai face unique challenges because of weather and topography.