The pilot of a sightseeing helicopter that crashed off Kauai on March 26, killing three passengers, told investigators that the aircraft experienced intense vibrations and began spinning before plunging into the water, according to a preliminary report released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries in the crash, which occurred roughly 75 yards off remote Kalalau Beach on the Na Pali Coast.
The crash adds to a deadly pattern of helicopter accidents in Hawaii, where at least 16 people have died in crashes over the past seven years. Aviation experts said the investigation will likely focus on mechanical failures in the tail rotor and related maintenance issues.
The National Transportation Safety Board report documented the sequence in detail. According to the pilot’s account, high-frequency vibrations that “came in waves and became stronger each time” developed as the helicopter made a left turn away from the shoreline during the tour. The aircraft then began rotating quickly in a clockwise direction.
The pilot performed an autorotation maneuver — a recovery technique that allows the rotor to spin with the force of air rather than engine power — stopping the rotation. He issued a mayday call before the helicopter struck the water roughly 75 yards off Kalalau Beach on the Na Pali Coast. The pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries.
Expert Assessment
Aviation experts attributed the sequence to mechanical failure. “It sounds like a catastrophic mechanical failure, likely involving the tail rotor,” said Alan Diehl, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti agreed, noting the evidence pointed to mechanical problems with the tail rotor. The investigation should focus on maintenance and design issues, he said. While the pilot responded correctly by stopping the spinning, “the helicopter didn’t have enough time or altitude to reach the beach,” Guzzetti said.
Victims and Operator
The three passengers killed were identified as Margaret Rimmler, 65, of Massachusetts; Patrick Haskell, 59, of Massachusetts; and Oksana Pihol, 40, a Ukrainian national. The helicopter was operated by Airborne Aviation, which conducts sightseeing tours of Kauai’s canyons, shoreline and waterfalls.
Broader Pattern of Helicopter Crashes
The crash is part of a deadly history in Hawaii. At least 16 people have died in helicopter crashes in Hawaii over the past seven years, including two crashes in 2019. Similar accidents have occurred elsewhere in the country. A helicopter crash on the Hudson River in New York last year 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. In 2009, a collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson River killed nine people.
The NTSB preliminary report did not identify a suspected cause of the crash. The agency’s final report is expected sometime next year. Investigators will examine the helicopter’s wreckage and maintenance history and interview everyone involved to determine what caused the accident.