Air Tour Helicopter Crash off Kauai Leaves One Dead, Two Missing

The Coast Guard has called off its search for two missing men after an air tour helicopter crashed off the Hawaiian island of Kauai on Thursday. The body of one of the passengers was recovered shortly after the crash. The dead woman was Amy Nichole Ruart Quintua. Missing are passenger James Quintua and pilot Guy Croyden.

A preliminary report indicates hikers witnessed the helicopter crash into the water around 1:20 p.m. and reported the incident to authorities. The helicopter, identified as a Robinson R44 by the FAA, was operated by Ali’i Kauai Air Tours and Charters based in Lihue. Following the crash, the FAA issued a temporary flight restriction (TFR) for the search and rescue operations. The agency said it’s investigating the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

According to a report from CNN, Hawaii has the highest number of deaths from air tour crashes in the nation—with 85 killed since the NTSB began keeping records. With increased scrutiny, local officials have called for stricter regulations and oversight of air tour operations in the state. New safety measures including equipment upgrades and flight data monitoring were included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.