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Pilot is hurt in helicopter
crash at Kahului Airport
WAILUKU >> A helicopter attempting to lift off crashed at Kahului Airport yesterday morning, throwing a rotor blade about 150 feet.
The pilot, Jed Cameron, was slightly injured but walked away from the crash, said state transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa.
Helicopter flights had to be re-routed for more than an hour and a half to the central east ramp area, about a quarter-mile north of the crash site near the Pacific Helicopter Tours hangar, state transportation officials said.
Regular operations of helicopter businesses resumed at 12:12 p.m., after fuel and the helicopter was removed from the takeoff area, officials said.
State officials said the Pacific Helicopter pilot was taking off to do contract work on the Big Island when there was a dynamic rollover of the aircraft, causing the rotor blade to detach and spin off.
Pacific Helicopters listed the Bell Jet Ranger aircraft as used for aerial surveying, in its registration with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Ishikawa said a review by state officials indicated the crash was due to pilot error.
