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Maui helicopter A Blue Hawaiian tour helicopter dropped 600 feet in 19 seconds before slamming into the Maui mountainside on July 21, killing all seven aboard, according to a report by the National Safety Transportation Board.
dropped suddenly
Other pilots avoided
Last minutes
the area because of
'inclement weather'
By Jaymes K. Song
Star-BulletinThe NTSB report did not list an official cause, but it noted that weather conditions were poor.
Three other pilots from Blue Hawaiian Helicopters flying within two miles of the accident site between 9:50 a.m. and 10:31 a.m. told a NTSB investigator they "modified their tour routes to exclude the area flown by the accident pilot because (of) the inclement weather conditions they observed," according to the report, released yesterday.
The downed American Eurocopter AS355 Twinstar was spotted on radar by the Federal Aviation Administration headed north at 3,700 feet above sea level at 10:19:47 a.m. About five seconds later, "the helicopter commenced a course reversal," and began flying south.
The last position recorded by radar was 10:20:06 a.m. By this time, the helicopter had descended to 3,100 feet, according to the NTSB. The wreckage was found about -mile south from the last recorded radar location.
"That's pretty fast, but not uncommon," said Gilbert Dela Cruz, manager of Rotor Wing Hawaii, a Honolulu-based company that maintains and repairs American Eurocopters. "If the pilot sees a bank of clouds, he might want to get it down and dive. It's a common maneuver."
The NTSB report also outlined details of the crash, which was on the mountainside of Iao Valley, about nine miles west of Kahului. The 30-minute tour left from Kahului at 9:55 a.m.
"The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact ground fire," NTSB said.
Dela Cruz said weather is significant in helicopter crashes. "It looks open with high clouds and when you enter (the mountain range), you turn around and the clouds could be there," he said. "The winds move clouds so fast in the mountains."
The clouds are like "blinders on your eyes," and you don't know where to move, he said.
Blue Hawaiian officials could not be reached for comment.
The crash killed seven people including the pilot Lawrence Kirsch, 55.
The other victims were Natalie Prince and Whitney Wood, both 14 and best friends from Fort Worth, Texas and William John Jordan, 51, his wife Jan Herscovitz, 49, and their children, Max Jordan, 16, and Lindsey Jordan, 15.
The final events in the Blue Hawaiian helicopter flight: Last minutes
9:55 a.m.: The Blue Hawaiian American Eurocopter AS355 Twinstar helicopter leaves Kahului for a 30-minute tour with seven on board.
Source: National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration