Pilot says Hawaii tour helicopter vibrated and spun before crash killed 3
He is the pilot of the helicopter crashed during sightseeing flight The plane that killed three passengers off the Hawaiian island of Kauai last month told investigators the plane shuddered and spun before plunging into the water, according to the report released Friday.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report did not identify a suspected cause of the March 26 crash, but said the pilot said he experienced “a high-frequency vibration that came in waves throughout the helicopter, getting stronger each time.” The cause won’t be determined until the final report comes out, probably next year.
The helicopter was carrying the pilot and four passengers when it crashed just off Kalalau Beach on the Na Pali Coast on Kauai’s North Shore, normally accessible only by an 11-mile (18-km) hike or boat. The region’s high coastal cliffs and sharp mountain ridges can contribute to turbulent weather and rapid weather changes that pose a hazard to aviation.
The pilot and surviving passenger were seriously injured.
The pilot said the vibrations began when he made a left turn from the coastline as part of his normal flight pattern, according to the report. The helicopter then began to rotate rapidly clockwise. He put the aircraft into autorotation, a maneuver that stops rotation, allowing the rotor to spin with air force instead of engine power. He made a distress call before hitting the water about 75 yards (69 meters) from the beach.
The helicopter rolled onto its right side and became partially submerged. The report did not say how the pilot and a passenger survived the crash or where the surviving passenger was sitting.
An eyewitness flying near the crash site saw the crash and reported that the helicopter appeared intact before hitting the water and breaking apart, the report said.
Authorities identified the three people killed as 65-year-old Margaret Rimmler and 59-year-old Patrick Haskell, both Massachusetts citizens, and 40-year-old Ukrainian Oksana Pihol.
The helicopter was operated by Airborne Aviation, which operates sightseeing tours of Kauai’s canyons, coastline and waterfalls. Airborne advertises an “adventure tour for thrill seekers” that can seat up to four people. Helicopter tours are a popular way to explore the cliffs, beaches and waterfalls along the Na Pali Coast.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said the helicopter’s vibrations and sudden rotation indicate some type of mechanical problem with the helicopter, possibly its tail rotor, but it is too early to determine what the problem is.
“It certainly appears to be causing a mechanical failure in the helicopter, which will direct the investigation into maintenance and design issues,” said Guzzetti, who investigates crashes for both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Guzzetti said the pilot did the right things because he was able to stop the spin, but the helicopter did not have enough time or altitude to reach the beach.
The accident was the last accident in recent times a series of fatal accidents This situation has plagued the industry for decades. Helicopter crashes in Hawaii have killed at least 16 people in the past seven years; two of which were accidents in 2019.
Tour companies in other parts of the country, including New York, have also faced collapses. last year a on the Hudson River The incident in New York that killed the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists. In 2018, five people died when a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights crashed into the East River. And in 2009, nine people died in a collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson River.
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Johnson reported from Seattle. Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.
