The pilot of a helicopter that crashed on a scenic flight off the Hawaiian island of Kauai last month, killing three passengers, told investigators that the plane vibrated and rolled before plunging into the water, according to a report released Friday.
A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board did not identify a suspected cause of the March 26 crash, but the pilot said he “experienced high-frequency vibrations in the helicopter that came in waves and got stronger each time.” The cause won’t be known until the final report, possibly next year.
The helicopter was carrying the pilot and four passengers when it crashed near remote Kalalau Beach, on the Na Pali coast on Kauai’s north shore, an area otherwise accessible only by an 11-mile (18-km) hike or boat. The region’s high coastal cliffs and sharp mountain cliffs can contribute to turbulent winds and rapid weather changes that pose hazards to aviation.
The pilot and the surviving passenger were seriously injured.
According to the report, the pilot said the vibration started while making a left turn from the coastline as a normal flight pattern. Then the helicopter started rotating rapidly in clockwise direction. He put the plane into autorotation—a maneuver that allows the rotor to turn with wind power rather than engine power—which stopped the spin. He called a mayday before falling into the water about 75 yards (69 m) from the beach.
The helicopter rolled onto its right side and partially submerged. The report did not say how the pilot and a passenger survived the crash, nor where the surviving passengers were seated.
A witness flying near the crash site saw the crash and reported that the helicopter appeared to be intact before it hit the water and broke up, the report said.
Authorities have identified the three victims as Margaret Rimler, 65, and Patrick Haskell, 59, both of Massachusetts, and Oksana Pihol, 40, of Ukraine.
The helicopter was operated by Airborne Aviation, which offers scenic tours of Kauai’s canyons, shores and waterfalls. Airborne advertises a “Door-Off Thrill Seekers Adventure Tour” that seats up to four people. Helicopter tours are a popular way to explore the cliffs, beaches and waterfalls along the Na Pali coast.
The helicopter’s vibration and sudden spin point to some sort of mechanical problem with the helicopter — possibly in the tail rotor — although it’s too early to determine what the problem was, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said.
“Certainly it appears to have caused a mechanical failure in the helicopter, which points the investigation to maintenance and design issues,” said Guzzetti, who used to investigate accidents for both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Guzzetti said the pilot appeared to have done the right thing 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 latest in a series of fatal accidents that have plagued the industry for decades. At least 16 people have died in helicopter crashes in Hawaii in the past seven years, including two in 2019.
Touring companies in other parts of the country, including New York, have also suffered accidents. Last year, a pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists died in New York’s Hudson River. In 2018, five people died after a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights crashed into the East River. And in 2009, a collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson killed nine people.
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Johnson reported from Seattle. Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.
