Rusty

There has been another tour helicopter crash, this time on Kauai with five aboard.

Based on the frequency of tour helicopter crashes in Hawaii it should be obvious to everyone that this is not a safe activity.

http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news...10/detail.html

leelane911

Helicopters are ten times more likely to crash than fixed-wing aircraft. I found this out from researching the NASA websites. People do not think bad things happen in a place like Hawaii but they do!

orchid

Thanks Rusty, I tried most of the day trying to find out details of this. I am so sorry that this happened to people who were on a pleasure trip. It is totally beyond my comprehension.

koa

As of right now, the bodies and the wreckage have not been recovered. It appears that the helicopter flew into a steep mountain rigde, making it very dangerous for rescue/recovery people. They will be attempting to recover the craft and bodies tomorrow(092704)

P_M

Back in 1985 I was driving up Haleakala (sp?) in Maui and a tourist helicopter crashed as we made the drive up. I remember all of the emergency vehicles going past us, and the mood on the mountain that day. We learned later that a man on his honeymoon was killed, but his wife survived. For the rest of our trip I felt so sad for his wife. It was so unfair.

scdvr219

Rusty,
How frequent are the helecopter crashs in Hawaii? I went to the National Safety Board Website and I'm not sure that I was finding all of the information. I'm just curious as I'm sure that you hear about these things when you live on the islands. They don't make national news, although they should!

Rusty

Recent fatal air-tour crashes in Hawai:

? July 23, 2003: A Jack Harter Helicopters Bell 206B crashes at Mount Wai'ale'ale, Kaua'i, killing five.

? June 15, 2003: Three tourists and a pilot are killed when a Tropical Helicopters Hughes 500 crashes in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. The cause remains under investigation.

? Aug. 25, 2000: A Big Island Air Piper Chieftain plane ditches in the ocean off Hilo. The pilot and seven passengers survive, one passenger dies. The NTSB cites loss of engine power and an engine fire.

? July 21, 2000: A Blue Hawaiian Tours helicopter crashes in '?ao Valley on Maui, killing seven. The NTSB cites pilot error for flying into cloudy weather.

? Sept. 25, 1999: A Big Island Air Piper Chieftain plane crashes on the slopes of Mauna Loa on the Big Island, killing all 10 aboard. The NTSB cites pilot error for flying into bad weather, improper navigation and disregard for standard operating procedures.

? June 25, 1998: A Eurocopter aircraft operated by 'Ohana Helicopters smashes into a mountainside at Mount Wai'ale'ale, Kaua'i, killing six. The NTSB cites pilot error for flying into bad weather.

? July 14, 1994: A Papillon Helicopters Aerospatiale Astar crashes into the ocean off Kaua'i's Na Pali Coast, killing three of seven people aboard. The NTSB cites engine failure.

? April 18, 1994: An Interisland Helicopters craft crashes near Hanapepe Valley on Kaua'i, killing one and injuring four. The NTSB cites engine failure.

? Jan. 25, 1993: A Kainoa Aviation Hilleer 1100 helicopter plunges into the ocean off Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. The pilot survives but four passengers are killed. The NTSB cites loss of tail rotor control.

? Sept. 16, 1992: A Hawai'i Helicopters Aerospatiale Astar slams into the southern slope of Haleakala on Maui, killing seven. The NTSB cites pilot error for flying into bad weather.

? April 22, 1992: All nine aboard a Scenic Air Tours Beech E18S plane die in a crash near Haleakala Crater. The NTSB cites pilot error for flying into bad weather.

1tiredmama

This is sad a terrible news. We took a helicopter tour of Kaui in 2001. It was the scariest thing I have ever done. It was raining, of course, and sometimes we just couldn't see a thing. I kept telling myself that the pilot was probably sooooo used to this. Never again.

Ashley24

1tiredmama,
I agree with you! I went on a helicopter flight in Kauai last January and it was raining over the canyon...I couldn't see a thing and was just waiting for the crash...really, I was exremely scared! I don't know how those pilots can tell if there is anything they are about to crash into.

Carmen

We went in 2003. It wasn't raining and the views were spectacular. But I was still pretty scared. When I say it was a once in a lifetime experience, I mean ONCE! We were there just last week, and every time I saw a helicopter fly over, I thought to myself, I'm glad I'm down here and not up there.

We met a honeymooning couple who were planning to do the doors-off, waterfall landing heli tour and when I saw this story, I got serious goosebumps. Our hearts go out to the families of the passengers and pilot.

hugglynn

I can empathize with the once in a lifetime statement...mine was over the Grand Canyon, and I vowed after getting off that would be the last time. So, after that came a Hawaii trip, and believe it or not, and while on Maui, my husband was determined he needed to do the ride while in Hawaii (must be the once in a lifetime thing), so we each went our separate ways--he went on the heli to Molokai, and I went snorkeling to Molokini instead. It was an eery feeling all day while snorkeling wondering about his trip....I don't know that he is ready for the venture again though if given the chance.

travelinandgolfin

As sad as this was, the fact is, if you want to worry about something, worry about dying in your car on your drive to the hotel. The odds of that are still astronomically high compared to a helicopter crash.

It is still a very safe activity and I would recommand it to anyone visiting the islands.

Meesthare

I've made this observation before on other posts about Hawaii helicopter tours, and I'll acknowledge from the outset that I can't vouch for its accuracy, but it makes sense to me: I was told by a tour guide on the Big Island that helicopter tours over the volcano are not safe. He didn't comment on other destinations. He explained that the volcanic gases interfere with the internal combustion engine on the helicopter and can cause it to fail. He showed us numerous helicopter "burns" on the Saddle Road where he said there had been crashes, some of them quite recent. By far, most of them are not fatal but they are scary and potentially dangerous.

Jay26

My wife and I did the waterfall landing flight with no doors 2 years ago. It was a thrilling experience I'll never forget. I knew there was a risk, but wasn't afraid at all. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I would definately do it again. If you consider the 100's of flights, the crash rate is probably less than 1/10th of one percent...then again I guess that is not too good. Regardless my heart goes out to those people and their families. God bless them.

islandmom

Not that one person's life is more valuable than another, but I think it depends on your circumstances if the risk is something worth taking. My husband is a small plane pilot that hasn't flown since our daughter was born. The heli is dangerous because of how the winds swirl around those sharp mountains. They switch in an instant. And the quick rain storms and fog. He's wanting to take lessons though. The worst is when you hear half the family went and half waited at the shop.

ggrtist

This was very sad and scary to read about. We just took this same tour with the same heli company almost a month ago. My thoughts are out to those lost in the crash and their families.

Regarding safety, I was definitely skiddish before going on the tour, but because everyone said how amazing the experience would be, we decided that with approx. 10 tour companies a day, each making maybe 7+ tours a day, every day of the year on Kauai...we felt that in comparison to the number of crashes wasn't really any more dangerous for us than driving in a car or getting on board a plane. I'm not saying that as a fact, just that we don't want to live our lives missing out on something spectacular because of what might happen. We had an amazing time on our flight, no rain, beautiful sites and felt safe while in the air. Someone at my place of work just lost their husband in a car accident, it seems sometimes that life & death are the luck of the draw. That said, though, I loved the experience...I'm glad that I've "been there,done that" so when I go back, I won't have to do it again.

lisakat60

Crash Stats:

Does anyone have stats on number of flights/passengers, and on crash/deaths?


Rusty, you seem very knowledgeable about the subject, do you have any?
I was planning on taking a tour next spring, but these postings are pretty scary.

gypsy

but what a way to go!
d

chris61

It is not true that helicopter tours are not a safe activity. There are hundreds of thousands of helicopter tour passengers that fly each year that have safe experiences. True, there are tragic accidents and lives have been lost.

Compare the numbers of lives lost swimming in the oceans and streams in hawaii and driving on the roads and highways. If we all stopped doing things that had risks we would all have to stay at home and do nothing. But that has risks too.

I would like to know where the information is available on the NASA website that says that helicopters are ten times more likely to crash than airplanes. Please post the like so
I can go there.

TripleSecDelay

Let's not turn this into some debate.
Helo tours are great fun. Exciting, and more. As long as people are aware of the dangers beforehand, there's nothing wrong with flying.
The difference is that a fixed-wing aircraft has a better chance of producing survivors - - as a helicopter has all the aerodynamic characteristics of a brick once there is a rotor failure.
Tragedies occur worldwide. Not just in "paradise".