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Wreckage Recovery On Hold In Kaua?i Helicopter Crash Investigation

Alex Schwab/Flickr
A tour helicopter crashed into a ridge between Nu'alolo (pictured here) and Miloli'i Valleys last week. The pilot and all six passengers were killed. "Nualolo Cliffs" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Alex Schwab.

Bad weather and rugged terrain are preventing federal investigators from recovering the wreckage of a Kaua?i tour helicopter that crashed last week. The pilot and all six passengers were killed.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has suspended recovery operations until the weather clears along the N? Pali Coast, a spokesman said Thursday.

The NTSB said the chopper hit a ridge before falling 100 feet and bursting into flames. The cause of the December 26th crash hasn't yet been determined. 

The site’s remote location has also complicated matters for investigators. They had been debating whether to examine the wreckage on site or haul it to another location.

But Eric Weiss, NTSB spokesman, said video and detailed photographs of the crash site led investigators to make the call to haul the wreckage out.

“So our investigator feels that that’s enough, that we don’t need to hike through the jungle four to six hours one-way or be short-hauled, which is basically lifted from a helicopter to the site,” said Weiss. “It’s just a safer option to haul the wreckage out and take it to a safe and secure location and allow our folks to examine it.”

Weiss says a preliminary report on what was found at the scene should be out in about two weeks.

The final determination of the cause of the crash will take anywhere from one to two years.

Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi is a general assignment reporter at Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Her commitment to her Native Hawaiian community and her fluency in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi has led her to build a de facto ʻōiwi beat at the news station. Send your story ideas to her at khiraishi@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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