HONOLULU — A sightseeing company's helicopter crashed near a remote beach off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, killing three people and injuring two others, authorities said. It was the latest in a series of fatal crashes that has plagued the industry for decades.
The helicopter was carrying one pilot and four passengers when it crashed Thursday afternoon just off Kalalau Beach, the Kauai Fire Department said. The beach is on the Na Pali Coast on Kauai's North Shore, an area that is otherwise reachable only by hiking or boat. The area's geography of tall seaside cliffs and sharp mountain ridges can contribute to turbulent air and quick weather changes that pose hazards for aviation.
An email was sent to Wilcox Medical Center seeking the patients' conditions.
At least 16 people have died in helicopter crashes in Hawaii in the past seven years, including two crashes in 2019. A skydiving plane crash in Hawaii that year killed 11 people; investigators blamed the pilot's aggressive takeoff.
In 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration set up a new process for air tour operators in Hawaii wanting to fly at lower altitudes, including recommendations for pilot training and qualifications, as well as aircraft equipment. The agency said it would thoroughly review each operator's safety plan before issuing an authorization.
Crashes have also plagued helicopter tour operations in other parts of the U.S., including a crash last year on the Hudson River in New York that killed the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists. Years earlier, five died in 2018 when a charter helicopter offering "open door" flights went down into the East River. And in 2009, collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson killed nine people.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that it was investigating the crash of the Hughes/MD 500 helicopter.
“They will begin gathering information surrounding the flight and plan to examine the helicopter once it is recovered from the water,” the NTSB said in a statement.
Officials identified the helicopter as being operated by Airborne Aviation, a helicopter company that does sightseeing tours of Kauai's canyons, shoreline and waterfalls. Airborne advertises a “doors-off thrill seekers adventure tour” that seats up to four people.
The company's website says it also flies search-and-rescue missions as well as flights for fire response and utility and construction services.
In a written statement, Airborne Aviation said it was cooperating with federal investigators.
“Our hearts are with the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event, and we extend our deepest condolences during this incredibly difficult time,” Airborne Aviation said in a written statement. “Safety has always been the foundation of our operations, and we are committed to understanding exactly what occurred.”
Helicopter tours are a popular way to explore the cliffs, beaches and waterfalls lining the Na Pali Coast.
Derek Kawakami, mayor of Kauai, thanked the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and local police, fire and safety agencies.
“Here on Kauai, whenever somebody puts their feet on our soil, they're one of ours, we treat them like one of ours, they're a part of our family, and our first responders respond with that spirit in mind,” he said in an interview with Hawaii News Now.
In July 2024, a tour helicopter crashed on Kauai, killing the pilot and two passengers. It broke up in-flight after it hit turbulence, causing the main rotor blades to strike its airframe, NTSB investigators found.
Three people were killed when a tour helicopter broke apart near Honolulu in April 2019, and that December seven people died — including three children — when one crashed in turbulent weather near the famed Na Pali Coast. Witnesses and other pilots reported fog, rain and low visibility around the time of the crash, and some pilots had turned around.
Two dozen people died in helicopter tour crashes in Hawaii from 2000 to 2010, according to Robb & Robb, a Kansas City law firm that represents victims.
“I’ve seen too much, being in my industry, to ever recommend to someone that I care about that they would get on a flight like this,” attorney Andrew Robb said Friday. "But everyone’s appetite for risk is different.”
__
Johnson reported from Seattle. Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, and Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, contributed.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
