Tour copter forced to land

A tour helicopter carrying six passengers and a pilot was forced yesterday to land in a field about a half-mile east of Kahului Airport.

No one aboard was injured and the helicopter sustained minor damage, said Ian Gregor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. The pilot, flying a Blue Hawaiian Eurocopter EC130, made the landing at 12:30 p.m. after calling in a “;mayday”; due to an engine warning light, Gregor said.

The same model of Eurocopter has been involved in two other hard landings on Maui since 2006.

On Jan. 5, 2006, a Blue Hawaiian helicopter came down in trees in Honokohau Valley. None of the six aboard were hurt in the accident, which the National Transportation Safety Board blamed on an electrical failure.

On April 20, 2007, a Sunshine Helicopters EC130 lost control on takeoff from a private residence in Makawao and landed in trees, causing minor injuries to five people. The NTSB blamed the pilot for taking off downwind.

Water wagons set up for Kauai communities

Kauai County has set up water wagons for residents of two communities still experiencing water problems related to last weekend's flooding.

The wagons are at Hanalei Park and at Hauiki and Waipouli roads near Kapaa, the county said in a news release.

The Hanalei pump has been repaired, but residents are still advised to boil their water as a precaution. Residents along Hauiki and Waipouli roads should also continue to boil their water before using it, the county said.

The county said it will notify residents when the water is safe to use. Residents need to bring their own containers to the water wagons.

In the meantime, Kauai residents and businesses who suffered losses in Saturday's flooding that are not covered by insurance are asked to call Kauai County Civil Defense.

The county is gathering information on uninsured losses to determine whether thresholds are met for county, state or federal assistance, according a news release.

About 17 inches of rain fell over Hanalei Saturday, flooding the valley and forcing the evacuation of more than a dozen people.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to check with their insurance company before calling the county.

The Red Cross is helping the county with damage assessment, the release said.

The Red Cross is also accepting financial donations for flood victims. For information call 245-4919. Civil Defense officials can be reached at 241-1800.

Film to raise donations and poverty awareness

Partners in Care will present the movie “;Where God Left His Shoes”; from 6:30 to 10 p.m. tomorrow at Paliku Theater, Windward Community College.

The “;Homeless Awareness Week”; movie is free, but people attending are asked to bring a can of food to help fill pantries of homeless shelters.

The WCC Service Learning Office is co-sponsoring the event.

The movie, which won the Sundance Films Humanitas Prize, “;is the story of a family that refuses to break apart during the darkest time of their lives and discovers that they will survive as long as they have each other.”;

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Police warn of car-surfing on Big Island

KAILUA-KONA » Big Island police are warning against the dangers of car surfing, where people ride on the roof of a moving car or pickup truck.

Sgt. Nancy Haitsuka says at least five incidents of car surfing have occurred in the Kailua-Kona area since late October.

In one case a neighborhood watch group reported that two teenage girls held onto luggage racks atop a sport utility vehicle while a 17-year-old girl drove slowly. No one was injured and no charges were filed.

Haitsuka says police also heard a report of a group of unidentified teenage boys car-surfing while speeding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there were 58 car surfing deaths and 41 injuries reported in newspapers nationwide from 1990 to 2008.

———

Associated Press