Five people dead after tour helicopter crashes on Molokai

Source: Hawaii News Now

By Minna Sugimoto - bio | email

MOLOKAI (HawaiiNewsNow) - A 30-year-old pilot from Kihei, Maui and four passengers are dead after a tour helicopter slammed into a hillside on the east end of Molokai at about 12:15 PM Thursday.

Maui county fire officials say the weather in the area consisted of rain and a lot of wind.

The crash, involving a Blue Hawaiian tour helicopter, happened about a quarter-mile behind Kilohana Elementary. A newlywed couple from Pennsylvania and two people from Ontario, Canada were on the flight.

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Tour flights continued to take off from the company's Oahu location Thursday afternoon. Workers said they were grieving, but trying their best to reassure customers.

Read more: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/16012086/breaking-helicopter-crash-above-kilohana-elementary-school-on-molokai

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They should be stopping operations until they're positive this wasn't mechanical. Way to go Blue Hawaiian!

in quite a while. Why not shut down, inspect, and investigate?

How horrible.

Newlyweds. My heart breaks for them and their families...

As well as for the other two folks...

my personal opinion... and yes this is one of the many reasons. Tour operators are not known for being well, very responsible... I hate to say it.

RIP to all concerned.

My father in law (well really my boyfriend's dad) yelled at my boyfriend when he heard he took a grand canyon tour with his sister.

Boyfriend's Dad is by no means a nervous nelly - a retired commercial pilot, charter pilot, fixed base operator, airplane dealer - a guy who flew just about anything made in all kinds of conditions. Including a helo he took in on trade (he taught himself).


edit to add:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/133651663.html?id=133651663

Wonder if it was pilot error. Sad.:-(

...it's a normal part of the Windward-Mauka weather cycle. He was probably flying way lower than he should have been.

Many who live there have only bad things to say about that company.

while on his honeymoon in Hawaii this week. He & his new bride flew to Hawaii Tuesday. They now live in San Antonio, TX....not Pennsylvania.

:cry: Oh man. I know their families are devastated.

sad.

on our local news channel this morning :cry:.

Keoki Kerr KITV4 News

POSTED: 3:38 pm HST November 14, 2011
UPDATED: 3:54 pm HST November 14, 2011

HONOLULU -- A Blue Hawaiian Helicopters tour chopper made a “precautionary” landing near the Hilo Airport on the Big Island Monday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

“There was an emergency light that went off in the helicopter, possibly indicating some kind of problem with the battery,” said Dan Meisenzahl, spokesman for the state Transportation Department.

The incident happened about 2:25 p.m. Monday, and did not result in any injuries to the six people on board, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the FAA.

The chopper landed on a drag strip between two and four miles from Hilo Airport, according to the FAA and state transportation officials.

Read more: http://www.kitv.com/news/29769762/detail.html#ixzz1dju6jMOn