Just three days after four people died in a helicopter crash while sightseeing in Kauai, another air-tour helicopter has crashed, killing a 60-year-old California man and seriously injuring a couple from New Hampshire and a woman from California. The pilot was treated for minor injuries. The Hughes 500 helicopter, operated by Inter-Island, was flying low near the coast when witnesses said there was a loud bang and some parts, including the tail rotor, fell into the ocean. The helicopter hit trees and a fence as it spiraled down into an open field. The NTSB has said some parts were recovered, but it was unclear if a bird strike had occurred. This was the sixth fatal air-tour crash on Kauai in four years. The FAA just released new rules last month for the air-tour industry, which were in part prompted by those Hawaiian crashes. The two wrecks now sit side-by-side in a hangar at Lihue Airport, as the NTSB pursues its investigations.
Another Fatal Helicopter Crash In Hawaii
Key Takeaways:
- An air-tour helicopter crashed in Kauai, killing one passenger and seriously injuring three others, just three days after another fatal air-tour incident in the area.
- Witnesses reported a loud bang and parts, including the tail rotor, detaching before the helicopter spiraled down, with the NTSB currently investigating the cause.
- This marks the sixth fatal air-tour crash on Kauai in four years, a series of incidents that recently prompted the FAA to release new safety rules for the industry.
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