NTSB: “This tragedy should never have occurred.” Update on Hawaii Helicopter Tours and Visitor Safety.
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65 thoughts on “Pilot + FAA Faulted in “100% Preventable” Tragedy | Hawaii Helicopter Tours”
Home » Blog » Hawaii Travel Tips » Pilot + FAA Faulted in “100% Preventable” Tragedy | Hawaii Helicopter Tours
I love flying, always have. But I have done only 1 helicopter tour, which was out of Hilo w/Blue Hawaiian, in one of their big Eco-Star copters.
I’ll never forget sitting on a commercial airlines flight next to a man who grew up on Lana’i as his dad was a Dole executive. He flat out told me he would never, ever fly a heli tour on Hawai’i, due to the history of fatal crashes, the incredible # of microclimates, very rapid weather changes in the mountains, low visibility, etc. Having spent months in Hawai’i, I quite agree & will stick to fixed wings as they At least have options if they get in trouble. Helicopters? Not so much. JMHO
Thanks for the info!
I like how you explained that even though a lot of people have lost their lives to helicopter flying, many more have done it safely. I know a lot of people might just assume that helicopters are dangerous. I hope they come to realize that they are wrong and that more often than not, those tours are perfectly safe.
Let me see if I can insert something from personal experience and a LOT of time in professional aviation …
I have over 30K flight hours from the USN and the commercial airlines — and nearly 100 hours of Part 135 Bell 206 helicopter time as well. The ONLY reason I mention my quals and experience is because:
The commercial, on-demand charter helicopter industry, IMO, is one of the least qualified and more “dodgy” places to be when you want to take a “sightseeing trip”. I was also the Director of Operations for a helicopter company in Texas that did MedEvac, offshore oil, and on-demand charter. The pilots were marginally qualified and none could make the transition into the airlines — where 99% of them would “like” to be, no matter what they might say.
So you want to take your Hawaiian “experience” up a notch?? I suggest, based upon experience, that you go somewhere else — rather than the charter helicopter market.
Agree or disagree … IMO, that’s what it is … so what’s your life worth??
100 hours Part 135 as what? I call BS . Are you a pilot ? Fake info. Fake news
Aloha,
I think I will pass on helicopter tours in Hawaii for two reasons. I question the safety for one, and second, after our last trip to Kauai, the number of helicopters flying around Ke’e Beach on our one afternoon there was really distracting. Here we are in one of the most remote places in the world and there was always at least one helicopter hovering nearby. Before the sound of one would die away you could hear another in the distance. I do not think I would enjoy myself seeing the islands from the sky knowing that it detracted from the beauty and peace on the ground, and I especially feel for those that actually live on the islands. Just say no to helicopters in Hawaii! Thanks for letting me express my opinion.
Hi Tammy.
Well said. Thank you.
Aloha.
I had a 3 island flight with Pacific doors off and when in the Iao valley I felt like we could have crashed but the pilot was very calm and rode the winds though I got very dizzy I’m glad we didn’t crash so deep in the mountains.
The winds where blowing in multiple directions and a bit stormy but not too crazy. Makes me think how any little think can put a heli into a bad situation.
Hello again. This incident seems a little different from a preliminary indication of a mechanical problem (warning light – an early report said rotor, and mention of the copter was rotating which is consistent with a rotor problem), while the preliminary report on the recent Safari crash seems to imply pilot error. Both the Molokai and 2000 Maui fatals with Blue Hawaiian cite pilot error. Both the Novictor and the fatal in Pearl Harbor look like mechanical problems. Of my 15 copter tours on the islands, I have flown Blue Hawaiian out of Waikoloa and Hilo (as well as Maui and Kauai), and have felt confident about their maintenance and staff. However, this rash of incidents in a short time has caused me to pause and reflect. Perhaps a previous comment about the fixed-wing tours feeling safer (I’ve done them on Oahu and Kauai). I was starting to shy away from Mauna Loa because of comments about the Robinson copter and now the bird I thought was most reliable is in question. I’m back on Oahu in January and will reflect whether I should continue my love the copter tours because of safety. And finally, the safety rules being talked about for the most part don’t address this crash. Thank for the opportunity to comment.
Hi Thomas.
Thank you.
Aloha.
Which Novictor accident? Not a single one was mechanical.
It seems that one quick and relatively inexpensive change that could be enacted immediately would be to require ground warning alarm systems in all commercial helicopters used for tours, etc. Honestly, it should be in every new model made and retrofitted to existing copters. We did a helicopter tour with our two daughters years ago on Kauai and it was a wonderful, memorable experience, but knowing what I do now I’d be less likely to do it again. My husband and I did a second tour in 2010 in a small plane, but it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable. Much safer, though!!!
My wife and I recently took a helicopter tour of Maui and Moloki. I was concerned that it was too windy to fly but because the trade winds are always blowing it seems to be the norm here to fly anyway. The flight was fairly smooth around and over the islands but I think going into narrow canyons to view waterfalls up close is just dangerous. I was happy our pilot avoided going into any cloud banks given the recent Kobe crash. I’m not one for over-regulation but given the history of copter accidents in Hawaii I think to rules should be tightened up.
Comment about pilot “hours”: I recall: The Blue Hawaiian on Maui that crashed in the early 2000s had a pilot with many thousands of hours, but had a citation or two for safety violations with a previous employer. The recent Safari incident was the lead pilot I believe. The Jack Harter crash in the smaller copter was a Navy vet who investigated accidents at the end of his career. The red Robinson that went down on Oahu was their owner or manager? I don’t know anything about the pilot in the Pearl Harbor incident but I understand the person in the back couldn’t release the seatbelt. I was appalled recently on the Big Island that my wife had trouble release the seatbelt upon a safe landing. I appreciate the info provided on the Robinson and having flown the bird 4 times on the islands, perhaps I’ve been lucky. I also, in conversation, ask the pilot questions before flights. The MAJOR point that’s different than 20 years ago is I encounter fewer military pilots and more and more pilots who received their initial training in Europe and than licensed in the US. That last guy almost raised a no-fly flag and turned out to be one of the most attentive to flying and less of tour guide which I appreciated. Thanks for you ear. I think I’ve done maybe 15 or 16 chopper tours here.
Thanks Thomas.
Aloha.