1 dead, 2 missing after tour helicopter crashes off the coast of Hawaii
By Sara Smart, CNN
(CNN) — One person was killed and two others are missing after a tour helicopter – popular among tourists in Hawaii – crashed off the coast of Kauai, officials said.
The crash happened around 1:20 p.m. Thursday near the Hanakoa Valley along the Na Pali Coast, according to a news release from the Kaua‘i Police Department.
Police were alerted to the crash by hikers who reported seeing the helicopter go into the water, the release said.
One person was found dead around 2:25 p.m., police said. A multiagency search was still underway Friday for the two people who are missing.
The pilot of the helicopter was local and the two passengers are believed to be “visitors from the mainland,” Kaua’i Police Chief Todd Raybuck said.
County search and rescue crews resumed search efforts Friday after pausing at sundown Thursday, while the US Coast Guard continued searching throughout the evening, police said.
“Our hearts go out to the families impacted by this tragedy,” Raybuck said in the release. “We will continue working with our partners to locate the missing individuals and provide support during this difficult time.”
Fire Chief Michael Gibson said sharks have been a consideration in the search.
“We are focusing all of our efforts on the surface water for any survivors right now,” Gibson said. “We’re utilizing our assets in the air from the Air National Guard and from Coast Guard to help keep an eye above things. But currently, our first responders are keeping safety in mind and we’re doing our search from personal rescue watercraft and other vessels.”
The helicopter, which the FAA identified as a Robinson R44, was operated by Ali’i Kauai Air Tours and Charters, police said. CNN has reached out to the company for comment.
Helicopter tours are popular in Hawaii as visitors seek to view the archipelago’s lush landscape by air, but safety concerns have been raised following other fatal crashes.
Seven people were killed when a tour helicopter crashed in a remote area of a state park on Kauai in December 2019. And earlier that year, three people were killed when a tour helicopter crashed and caught fire on a street in Kailua on the island of Oahu, officials said.
Overall, Hawaii has the highest number of deaths from air tour crashes in the nation, with more than 85 killed since the NTSB began keeping records, Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz said in a news release in May announcing new safety provisions for the air tour industry included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
Following Thursday’s crash, the FAA enacted a temporary flight restriction in the area as the search is ongoing.
The FAA and NTSB are both investigating, an FAA spokesperson told CNN.
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CNN’s Jennifer Henderson contributed to this report.
