Update: This story has been edited following the identification of the third crash victim.

National Transportation Safety Board staffers have begun investigating a fatal helicopter crash on Kauaʻi that killed three people and injured two last Thursday.

Their goal is to establish what caused the Airborne Aviation helicopter to crash into the ocean near Kalalau Beach on the Nāpali coast sometime around 3:15 p.m., and if possible provide recommendations to improve aviation safety on the island. 

Margaret Rimmler, 65, and Patrick Haskell, 59, visiting from Massachusetts, died in the March 26 accident. A 40-year-old Ukrainian national, Oksana Pihol, was identified Monday as the third victim.

This NTSB investigation will differ significantly from most of the accidents the agency has conducted in Hawaiʻi in the last decade in one crucial way: in almost every other recent case, all those onboard have died.  

Two unidentified people, one likely the pilot, managed to survive the most recent deadly crash and have been recovering at Wilcox Medical Center. Their accounts, and those of witnesses on Kalalau Beach, will likely provide investigators with valuable details about the events leading up to the accident. 

How Often Do Helicopters Crash In Hawai’i?

Hawai’i has the worst helicopter sightseeing safety record in the nation, according to NTSB data.

Fifty-one people have died in helicopter crashes since 2000, including the victims of the most recent crash. Hawai’i’s accident total in that period exceeds Nevada, Alaska and New York, all of which also have high volumes of helicopter sightseeing traffic. 

The Kalalau Beach accident was the 13th fatal helicopter crash in Hawai’i in 25 years and nine of those –– including the three most recent fatal accidents –– have been on Kaua’i. 

Lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Ed Case and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz have frequently highlighted the industryʻs poor record and drafted legislation that would provide stronger regulation. Industry lobby groups like Vertical Aviation International have defended the local safety record and resisted calls for more oversight. 

Why Do So Many Accidents Happen on Kauaʻi?

Hawai’i’s variable maritime weather, rugged terrain and busy tourist-oriented airspace have often been cited as factors in the high rate of accidents.

Kauaʻi’s spectacular scenery puts it at the epicenter of Hawaiʻi’s air tour industry and Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation data show that air tours on the Garden Island make up 40% of the air tour traffic in the state. 

Up to 30 helicopters operated by nine companies are operating, and at its peak there can be over 80 air tour landings per day at Līhuʻe Airport.

When Was The Last Fatal Crash On Kauaʻi?

The last fatal air tour crash on July 11, 2024 also occurred along the remote Nāpali Coast close to the location of the most recent crash.

Three people also died in that accident, but only one body was ever recovered. 

The final NTSB report on the crash found that it was the result of a known issue with the Robinson R44 helicopter –– a tendency for the main rotor to wobble violently and strike the body of the aircraft during extremely high winds. 

What Happened On The March 26 Flight?

Publicly available flight data shows some details of the March 26 flight.

When helicopter took off from Līhuʻe Airport at 3:13 p.m. it was on its sixth tour of the day, with four passengers and one pilot onboard. Flight records show the aircraft usually made five to six tours a day lasting between 40 minutes and an hour and 10 minutes.

Radar data that day tracks the helicopter over the lower half of the island toward Kekaha. The data stops at 3:34 p.m. but just before that the aircraft suddenly dropped its speed from 120 mph to 60 mph. The helicopter then descended from around 3,500 feet to 1,500 feet in only a couple of minutes.

The helicopter landed in water at remote Kalalau Beach, complicating rescue and recovery, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Kauaʻi Police Chief Rudy Tai said last week that there were reports from witnesses that the pilot had made attempts to land the helicopter closer to the beach when it was clear it was going to crash. 

What Was The Weather Like On The Day?

An aviation weather advisory from the National Weather Service, known as AIRMET Tango, was in effect March 26 because of the possibility of low-level turbulence across all the islands. The NWS also advised there could be periods of reduced visibility caused by low-level haze, drizzle or mist.  

NTSB Investigators will zero in on the weather to determine if it was a factor in the incident. Two years ago, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy wrote to the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration expressing concern over a tendency among Hawai’i air tour companies and pilots to risk flying in poor weather conditions. 

Local operators have pushed back on suggestions that they push the envelope of flying in inclement weather for business reasons, but have been lobbying the FAA for permission to enable them to fly below a 1,500-foot ceiling in the event of low cloud or reduced visibility. Lawmakers like Case have opposed this saying residents strongly oppose the idea due to noise and safety concerns.

Since early 2024, local pilots and operators have had access to a system of weather cameras installed by the FAA in locations across the state. These transmit a 10-minute video loop showing visual conditions and limited weather data that can be reviewed before takeoff to help assess flying conditions along the route. 

The FAA did not respond to a question asking whether the camera at Mākaha Point, which has a 270-degree view of the Nāpali coastline, was operational at the time of the accident, but it appeared operational when Civil Beat checked. The video provided by the camera is not permanently archived, the FAA has previously said.

What Do We Know About The Air Tour Company?

Air tour company Airborne Aviation is a relatively new player in the competitive air tour market on Kaua’i, but it has a track record since at least 2009 offering flight services for utility companies, state conservation, and county fire and search and rescue. 

In a Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting in 2020 about operator leases at Līhuʻe Airport, owners Brandon and Delzelle Miranda said that the company was still primarily a utility company, but they did register a new business name –– Airborne Aviation Tours –– with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs in June of that year.

This appears to be the first safety incident involving the company, according to FAA and NTSB records. 

An email and voice message left with Airborne Aviationʻs office in Līhuʻe on Thursday were not answered.

What Do We Know About The Helicopter?

The helicopter in the crash is part of an aging fleet of 588 Hughes/McDonnell Douglas helicopters of this type registered in the United States and was manufactured in 1979.

The helicopter, which had the tail number N715KV, has operated under at least another eight registrations, records show. It’s normal for an aircraft of its age to have had many owners and to have been moved around a lot in the used helicopter market.

An internet search shows the same aircraft operated in Canada under the registration C-GPCE and was heavily modified there with pontoon-sized flotation tanks attached for water landings. 

Is ‘Doors-Off’ Flying Safe?

Airborne Aviation promotes 50-minute “doors-off” tours, as do other Hawaiʻi air tour operators. The feature allows passengers more unrestricted views and photo opportunities. 

But two years ago the Department of the Interior issued an interdepartmental memo highlighting the risks of operations that involve “doors-off” aviation.   

“Doors off operations can add significant risk to a mission by increasing the opportunity for objects to depart the cabin area during flight,” the memo states. “These objects can strike the main rotor or tail rotor resulting in a loss of control and ultimately, a fatal accident.”

How Do You Know If Air Tours Are Safe?

There is no easily accessible rating system that would-be passengers can consult showing the safety record of a particular air tour operator.  

Other than looking for current media reports, the FAA’s Rotorcraft Accident Dashboard and the United States Helicopter Safety Team issue monthly updates on helicopter crashes that offer some context for consumers.  

Given the track record of the industry, Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry “can and should advise visitors that tour helicopters and small operations are hazardous and are completely objected to by local residents,” Case said in a statement this week. 

But air tours are also integral to the economy of Kauaʻi, Mayor Derek Kawakami said in a post-disaster press conference.

“As long as our island is beautiful and mankind is born with curiosity,” he said, “people are going to want to experience this.”

When Will The NTSB Investigation Be Finished?

As a rule of thumb, the NTSB investigators release a premliminary report pretty quickly after their initial on-the-ground investigation, often within a month. Then they go radio silent for up to a year or more before the final investigative findings are issued.

The NTSB did not respond to a request for information on how long its investigators will be in Hawai’i or when the preliminary report will be available.

Civil Beat’s reporting on Kauaʻi is supported in part by a grant from the G.N. Wilcox Trust.