A tour helicopter crashed Wednesday on a remote lava field, injuring five passengers and the pilot, according to multiple media reports.
The helicopter, a Bell 407, was reportedly owned by Paradise Helicopters, according to Hawaii News Now.
The pilot, who was reportedly seriously hurt, was rescued from the wreckage. A 19-year-old woman was also seriously hurt. Four others were hospitalized with what were reported to be less serious injuries.
The cause of the crash and circumstances leading up to it are not yet publicly known, as federal agencies investigate.
Hawaii News Now reports that the operator of the aircraft had at least two of its helicopters previously crash, in 2013 and 2019. There were no fatalities in that crash.
In May, the NTSB criticized the FAA in the wake of a 2019 tour helicopter crash in Hawaii that killed a pilot and six passengers. The operator of that helicopter was Safari Aviation.
RELATED: NTSB blames FAA inaction in deadly 2019 tour helicopter crash
The NTSB claimed the FAA has been slow to expand a network of weather cameras and introduce more training for tour helicopter pilots.
Again, the factors leading to Wednesday’s crash remain unknown.
Photos courtesy of Hawaii County government
Recent Comments