Tour Helicopter Second To Crash In Four Days

A helicopter flying an aerial tour over the Hawaiian island of Kauai crashed Sunday afternoon, killing one passenger and seriously injuring three. It was the second fatal helo accident in Kauai in four days.

Authorities told The Associated Press the pilot heared a loud bang, and lost control of the helicopter at approximately 1300 local time near the island's north shore. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the helicopter's main rotor blade struck trees just before the crash.

The helicopter, a McDonnell Douglas 369FF, was owned by Smoky Mountain Helicopters Inc. and flying for Inter-Island Helicopters, a tour operator on Kauai. The helo's pilot was uninjured.

The Honolulu Advertiser reports Inter-Island has suffered two other fatal helicopter accidents. On December 25, 2005 the son of the company's owner crashed an MD-369FF as he attempted to fill a water bucket suspended from the helicopter, while helping to fight a brush fire. One person was killed in an April 1994 crash, which the NTSB ruled was caused by engine failure.

As Aero-News reported, a Eurocopter AS350B2 operated by Heli-USA crashed Thursday afternoon near Lihue, killing the pilot and three passengers.

Regis#: 911VC        Make/Model: MD36      Description: MD369, MD-500, MD-530F/MG, LIFTER, DEFEN
  Date: 03/11/2007     Time: 2320

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: HANEA KAUAI   State: HI   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N911VC, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 369FF ROTORCRAFT, OPERATED BY INTER ISLAND
  HELICOPTERS, CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE 5 PERSONS ON
  BOARD, ONE PERSON WAS FATALLY INJURED, THREE PERSONS WERE SERIOUSLY
  INJURED, HANEA, KAUAI, HI

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   4     Fat:   1     Ser:   3     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: 112253Z 09007KT 10SM SCT020 OVC030 24/18 A2998

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Business      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed: PORT ALLEN, HI              Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: PORT ALLEN, HI           Flt Plan: VFR          Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: HONOLULU, HI  (WP13)                  Entry date: 03/12/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.interislandhelicopters.com, www.ntsb.gov