A multiagency search, with the added assistance of the Hawaii National Guard, resumed Friday for two of three people aboard a tour helicopter that crashed Thursday afternoon off the Na Pali Coast of Kauai.
Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke on Friday morning signed an emergency proclamation that allowed the state Adjutant General to activate the Hawaii National Guard and permitted the use of its assets to aid in the search for the missing people.
The Coast Guard said Friday during a joint news conference with Kauai County that a Hawaii National Guard H60 Black Hawk
helicopter joined the search.
The body of one person who had been aboard the four-seater Robinson R44 helicopter owned by Aloha Helicopter Tours LLC, dba Alii Air Tours &Charters, was found by Kauai Ocean Safety lifeguards on rescue watercraft Thursday.
Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck said the pilot was a local resident and the two passengers were mainland residents, but would not release the identity or gender of the person whose body was recovered until the next of kin have been notified. Authorities have not disclosed whether the body was that of the pilot or a passenger.
Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami said: “First and foremost, we want to offer our sincerest condolence thoughts and prayers to everyone involved, to all the family members. For a small, close-knit community, these type of occurrences shake our community to the core.
“As mayor, I couldn’t be more thankful for the coordinated effort from our U.S. Coast Guard, our own Kauai County first responder team and everyone that’s involved. The amount of resources and
manpower that’s going into this
is nothing short of profound and amazing.”
Kauai Fire Chief Mike Gibson said fire and Ocean Safety personnel were dispatched at 1:20 p.m. Thursday to a report of a downed helicopter.
The Kauai Fire Department responded with an Air 1 helicopter crew and Zodiac rescue watercraft crews.
Ocean Safety personnel aboard rescue watercraft recovered the body a quarter-
mile offshore from Hanakoa Valley along the Na Pali Coast. An oil slick on the surface of the water and small pieces of floating debris were seen in the area of the crash site, Gibson said.
“We are continuing to search today for any survivors,” Gibson said Friday.
Hanakoa Valley is located on mile 6 of the 11-mile Kalalau Trail, which starts at Kee Beach and ends at Kalalau Beach. The area is accessible only by hiking or by boat or visible from the air.
A hiker along the remote Kalalau Trail was the only witness who reported the downed helicopter to the Fire Department, but police have not been able to contact that witness, who sent limited information by text message. The hiker might have more details about what was seen or heard, Raybuck said.
He urged members of the public to contact Kauai police if they have information on the crash or if they find debris possibly from the crash along the north shore.
The Coast Guard was immediately notified by Kauai dispatch and sent
a 45-foot Response Boat-
Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Kauai.
The Coast Guard Sector Honolulu command center sent an HC-130J Super
Hercules airplane and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard
Air Station Barbers Point, which searched Thursday. The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak, a 154-foot Sentinel-class cutter from Honolulu, arrived at 7:30 a.m. Friday.
The air resources and the boat returned at 6 a.m. Friday to continue the search.
When asked whether sharks near the wreckage were a concern, Gibson said that rescue personnel are taking into consideration their presence, particularly Ocean Safety personnel aboard rescue watercraft.
“We do not believe the weather was a concern at the time,” and that the National Weather service said weather conditions were normal for this time of year, Gibson said. Winds were 15 to 25 mph, with light clouds and scattered showers, he said.
The Coast Guard said a temporary flight restriction zone is in effect in the area, but there is no restriction on tour vessel activity.
The Federal Aviation
Administration’s preliminary information on its website says the crash
occurred under unknown circumstances.
The FAA’s database shows the aircraft, identified by Registration No. N144KW, is owned by Aloha Helicopter Tours LLC, based at 2798 Upena St. in Lihue.
The aircraft was manufactured in 2009. Its engine is a Lycoming Model IO-540-AE1A5.
The FAA says its airworthiness date is Nov. 7, 2023. The FAA says on its website that the duration of aircraft registration certificates has been extended up to seven years, and any registration certificate displaying an expiration date after Jan. 31, 2023, is still valid.
The tour company’s website says it offers approved “Doors Off/On Helicopter Tours or Airplane Tours,” including tours of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon as well as Niihau.
The website also says the Robinson R44 can take three passengers. A video shows two passengers in the back and an open seat next to the pilot.
TripAdvisor’s website showed the tour company received 1,011 reviews, giving it five stars.
The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs shows the company is active and operates under the trade name of Alii Air Tours &Charters, registered in 2022.
William Zeffiro is listed as a member of Aloha Helicopter Tours LLC. An employee at Alii Air Tours &Charters said Zeffiro is the owner.
Zeffiro did not return calls to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The National Transportation Safety Board said
Friday its personnel are investigating the crash of a Robinson R44 helicopter that went down around
1:15 p.m.
“Once the aircraft is recovered, an NTSB investigator will arrive on scene to begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft,” NTSB officials said in a statement. “The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation.”
Anyone with information that might assist search
efforts should contact the Coast Guard at 808-842-2603.
