NTSB preliminary report details pilot account in fatal Kauai tour helicopter crash
The Facts
- The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the March 26 helicopter crash off Kauai.
- The crash involved a sightseeing or tour helicopter near Kalalau Beach on Kauai.
- Three passengers were killed in the crash.
- The pilot told investigators the helicopter experienced high-frequency vibrations that grew stronger before the crash.
- According to the pilot's account in the preliminary report, the helicopter then turned or spun to the right before entering the water.
- The helicopter was carrying the pilot and four passengers when it crashed.
- The preliminary report did not identify a suspected cause of the accident.
- The pilot and one surviving passenger sustained serious injuries.
Context
What does the preliminary report say happened before the crash?
The pilot told investigators that he felt high-frequency vibrations throughout the helicopter that came in waves and intensified, and that the aircraft then made an uncommanded right turn and spun before crashing near Kalalau Beach Aol,Daily Mail,KHON2.
Has investigators identified the cause of the crash?
No. The NTSB's preliminary report did not identify a suspected cause, and one report says a final determination is not expected until a later final report, likely next year U.S. News & World R…,Newsday.
Who was on board and what was the outcome?
The helicopter was carrying the pilot and four passengers. Three passengers were killed, and the pilot and one surviving passenger were seriously injured Daily Mail,Boston Globe,KHON2.
How left and right read it
The preliminary NTSB report offers a stark account of a tour helicopter carrying five people: the pilot said high-frequency vibrations intensified, then the aircraft turned to the right before entering the water near Kalalau Beach. Three passengers were killed, and with the pilot and one survivor seriously injured, the absence of any identified cause is a reminder that the key safety questions are still unresolved.
The NTSB’s preliminary report provides the clearest factual account yet of the March 26 crash off Kauai, based on what the pilot told investigators: worsening high-frequency vibrations followed by a rightward turn before the helicopter entered the water. Three passengers died, and while the pilot and one passenger were seriously injured, the report appropriately stops short of naming a cause before the investigation is complete.
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