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3w ago

Three Dead, Two Injured in Kauai Tour Helicopter Crash off Kalalau Beach

A federal safety probe now looms over tour flights in this hard-to-reach stretch of Kauai.

FILE - An area near the Na Pali Coast on the island of Kauai in Hawaii is seen from the air on Dec. 17, 2019.
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The Coast Guard, agency partners and good Samaritans responded to a helicopter crash off Kalalau Beach on Kauai Thursday.    
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Overview

  • The Airborne Aviation helicopter, which went down Thursday at about 3:45 p.m. local time, carried a pilot and four passengers.
  • Authorities reported three fatalities and said two survivors were flown to Wilcox Medical Center in Lihue.
  • A text-to-911 alert drew county responders, with fire, police and the U.S. Coast Guard reaching the remote beach by air and sea.
  • The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified and are expected to investigate as the cause remains unknown.
  • The crash follows a July 2024 tour helicopter accident along the same coast that killed three people, keeping scrutiny on sightseeing flights in the area.