Travel News - Blue Hawaiian helicopter crashes on Molokai, 5 Dead

Sad news for the Blue Hawaiian family:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/133651663.html?id=133651663

Sounds like weather played a role, and perhaps a mechanical issue. Thoughts go out to those touched by this tragedy.

Very sad news, indeed. However, tourist helicopter accidents happen with alarming frequency. That, at least, is my recollection when I had a house on Maui.

Five people died in a Blue Hawaiian helicopter crash yesterday. One couple were newlyweds.

http://www.mauinews.com/

According to the Honolulu Advertiser, the last fatal tour helicopter crash in hawaii was 2007. The weather here in the winter can change quickly and a front moving up the hillside can quickly trap an aircraft between IFR conditions and terrain. I just hope this wasn't a case of controlled flight into terrain.

i've been on a few, but probably wouldn't do it again, tho not just because of the risk....

However, tourist helicopter accidents happen with alarming frequency. That, at least, is my recollection when I had a house on Maui.

Piecing together NTSB and news reports, I see 11 fatal helicopter accidents since 1994. Blue Hawaii, one of the leaders but for from the only company flying in Hawaii, says they carry 140K pax per year, which I estimate to by 25K flgihts. So I suspect there are 50K flights per year total, at least. That makes 11 accidents in 850,000 flights. My flight was about an hour, so that's about 1 accident every 75K flighthours. General aviation has had a rate between 1 fatal accident every 52K flight hours. (http://www.ghafi.org/download/GA-Analysis.1.pdf) and 1 fatal accident every 92.5K hours (http://www.faa.gov/about/plans_reports/Performance/quarter_scorecard/media/General%20Aviation%20Fatal%20Accident%20Rate.pdf) over a similar time period.

I suppose "alarming" is subject to personal opinion, but I'm not sure I'd characterize it that way. If so, then general aviation is also in bad shape.

Let me know if this brief research is inaccurate. I often hear anecdotal evidence about the danger of helicopter tourism, but this prompted me to actually look into it. I am always eager to find factual data.

Blue Hawaiian AFAIK had an excellent reputation.. my condolences go out to the family..:(

@CPRich
The comment about alarming frequency IMO is based on that living here, we deal with the ramifications of crashes a lot longer than an average tourist does.
Too many times, the pilots are our friends, neighbors, our ohana.
We also know their family wife kids etc.
Crashes that are fatal are usually heavily publicized. The " hard landings" not so much.

Blue Hawaiian AFAIK had an excellent reputation.. my condolences go out to the family..:(

Indeed. There are MUCH shadier operators in the Islands (I remember, when I lived there, one company on Kauai had two fatal crashes in one year and had its license revoked by the FAA/NTSB).

Anyway, sad news. :(

Indeed. There are MUCH shadier operators in the Islands (I remember, when I lived there, one company on Kauai had two fatal crashes in one year and had its license revoked by the FAA/NTSB).

Anyway, sad news. :(

Yes, I think the Fairmont Orchid recommended Blue Hawaiian.. and iirc they are one of the more expensive operations, and market their excellent safety record..

My heart goes out to affected friends and family..

I suppose "alarming" is subject to personal opinion, but I'm not sure I'd characterize it that way. If so, then general aviation is also in bad shape.

* * *

Let me know if this brief research is inaccurate. I often hear anecdotal evidence about the danger of helicopter tourism, but this prompted me to actually look into it. I am always eager to find factual data.

Much like shark attacks or bike crashes for Haleakala downhill cyclists, there's something particularly disturbing about a fatal helicopter crash -- even if it is the first one in Hawaii in the last four years. Somehow we are much more at ease with the 40,000 or so annual auto fatalities in this country. Humans are strange.