3 Dead in Hawaii Air Tour Crash

Aviation Airborne helicopter carrying five goes down off Kauai beach, injuring two survivors.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, March 27, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A photo shared by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the accident response at Kalalau Beach [Credit: U.S. Coast Guard]

Key Takeaways:

An air tour helicopter crashed on a remote beach in Kauai, Hawaii, resulting in three fatalities and two injuries among the five people on board.
The helicopter, operated by Aviation Airborne, prompted a combined rescue effort by the U.S. Coast Guard, Kauai Fire Department, and good samaritans, who airlifted the survivors.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, with the tour company expressing condolences and full cooperation.

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Three people were killed and two more injured when an air tour helicopter crashed on a remote beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on Thursday.

According to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard, it was alerted to the accident by a call from Kauai Police Department dispatch at approximately 3:50 p.m. local time. There were five people aboard the helicopter that was being operated by Aviation Airborne, an air tour company that, according to the company website, offers “door off aerial tours” of the islands.