At about 10:20 Hawaiian standard time, an Aerospatiale AS 355F1 helicopter struck mountains about nine miles west of Kahului. The pilot of the Part 135 sightseeing flight and its six passengers were killed. The impact site was 2,850 feet up the north face of a 2,900-foot mountain, with a slope estimated in excess of 60 degrees. Three other tour helicopter pilots from the same operator said they had flown within 2 miles south of the accident site in the half hour before the crash. Those pilots told investigators they modified their tour routes to exclude the area flown by the accident pilot because of the inclement weather conditions they observed.
July 21, Kahului, Hawaii / Aerospatiale AS 355
At about 10:20 Hawaiian standard time, an Aerospatiale AS 355F1 helicopter struck mountains about nine miles west of Kahului. The pilot of the Part 135 sightseeing flight and its six passengers were killed. The impact site was 2,850 feet up the north face of a 2,900-foot mountain, with a slope estimated in excess of 60 degrees. Three other tour helicopter pilots from the same operator said they had flown within 2 miles south of the accident site in the half hour before the crash. Those pilots told investigators they modified their tour routes to exclude the area flown by the accident pilot because of the inclement weather conditions they observed....
Key Takeaways:
- A sightseeing helicopter crashed into mountains west of Kahului, Hawaii, killing the pilot and all six passengers on board.
- The accident occurred high on a steep mountain face, with the impact site at 2,850 feet on a 2,900-foot peak.
- Other tour helicopter pilots from the same operator had deliberately altered their routes to avoid the area due to observed inclement weather conditions prior to the crash.
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