SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Two people are in critical condition after a tourist helicopter crashed on a remote lava field in Hawaii on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:29 p.m. in Ka'u — a district at the southernmost tip of the Big Island — according to a release by K&S Helicopters, the company that operates the tour agency involved, Paradise Helicopters.
The aircraft, a Bell 407, was carrying five passengers and one crew member and all were safely evacuated from the site. USA Today reported the pilot, a man in his 50s, was trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated. He was in serious but stable condition. One passenger, an 18-year-old woman, was in serious but "worsening condition," the outlet reported. No other details about their conditions were released.
The other four people were taken to the hospital by ambulance.
No other information was available, including what possibly caused the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an investigation into the incident, Hawaii News Now reported.
"The care of our passengers, crew members, and their families is our highest priority," Calvin Dorn, owner of K&S Helicopters, said.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
