Tour Helicopter Crashes in Kauai

During our eight days in Kauai a year ago, tour helicopters were a frequent sight as they headed out for the tour of the island. When we traveled up Waimea Canyon we could see several helicopters coming up the canyon below us to view the huge waterfalls.

Over the years the Hawaiian helicopter tour business has had an exceedingly safe record, but they took a hit yesterday:

PRINCEVILLE, Hawaii — Four people were fatally injured and three critically injured Thursday in a tour helicopter crash on Kauai, officials said.

The crash occurred at Princeville Airport at about 3 p.m., shortly after a Heli-USA Airways helicopter pilot radioed that he was having problems with the aircraft's hydraulics, according to a statement by Kauai Fire Chief Robert Westerman.

Of the two men and two women who died, three were killed in the crash and one died while being taken to Wilcox Memorial Hospital, where the three survivors were being treated, Maui County spokeswoman Mary Daubert said.

Nigel Turner, chief executive of Las Vegas-based Heli-USA, said the aircraft, one of six in his Hawaii fleet, was minutes from its scheduled landing when it crashed.

"We are in the process of notifying the families of those individuals involved and our sincere condolences goes out at this time," he said. "We are working with authorities to find out exactly what happened."

I bought a helicopter tour video while we were over there. I would have loved to taken the trip myself, but when you're as big as me, they want to charge you for two seats instead of one, and I didn't have that much money to throw around.

What makes thist story sadder is you know the victims were vacationers, and possibly even honeymooners enjoying their Hawaiian vacation by getting an aerial view of one of the most beautiful places on earth.