Six people are injured and survive crash of a tour helicopter into a LAVA FIELD in Hawaii: Pilot suffered serious injuries and was trapped in wreckage
- Miraculously all five passengers and the pilot survived a tourist helicopter crash in a lava field on Hawaii’s Big Island on Wednesday afternoon
- Passengers included two teenage women, a 23-year-old man, a 50-year-old man and 54-year-old man. Their injuries ranged from stable to serious
- One of the teenagers, an 18-year-old woman, had to be airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries, while the others were taken by ambulance
- The pilot, who also reportedly suffered serious injuries, was initially trapped in the wreckage and had to be extracted
- Officials have not yet confirmed what caused the crash and where exactly the chopper was headed
- Photos of the crash show the blue chopper laying on the lava field on its side almost entirely destroyed
Six people suffered serious injuries after a tour helicopter crashed into a lava field in a remote section of Hawaii’s Big Island.
Passengers included two teenage women, a 23-year-old man, a 50-year-old man and 54-year-old man. Their injuries ranged from stable to serious, KITV.com reported.
Miraculously all five passengers and the pilot survived after the chopper went down on Wednesday afternoon.
Photos of the crash show the blue chopper laying on the lava field on its side almost entirely destroyed
The pilot, who also reportedly suffered serious injuries, was initially trapped in the wreckage and had to be extracted
The chopper was a Bell 407 tour helicopter that belonged to Paradise Helicopters and is operated by K&S Helicopters
One of the teenagers, an 18-year-old woman, had to be airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries, while the others were taken by ambulance.
The pilot, who also reportedly suffered serious injuries, was initially trapped in the wreckage and had to be extracted, KITV.com reported.
The chopper was a Bell 407 tour helicopter that belonged to Paradise Helicopters and is operated by K&S Helicopters.
The Hawai’i Fire Department said the crash took place in the area southwest section of the Big Island, which is primarily made up of dried lava fields where past volcanic activity occurred.
The Big Island also has active lava fields in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater where tourist can visit, but where this crash did not occur.
Officials have not yet confirmed what caused the crash and where exactly the chopper was headed.
Photos of the crash show the blue chopper laying on the lava field on its side almost entirely destroyed.
The chopper blades are seen mangled and one of the doors is seen barely hanging on to its hinges.
The tours of the the Hawai’i Islands includes a ‘Lava and Rainforest Adventure Tour’ that flies over Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes on earth
It is not sure which tour the victims were taking but Paradise Helicopters’ website has three main tours of Hacai’i Island, Lana’i Island and O’ahu Island
K&S Helicopters said it is cooperating with authorities and helping those involved in the crash.
‘The care of our passengers, crew members, and their families is our highest priority’ Calvin Dorn, of K&S Helicopters said in a statement.
It is not clear which tour the victims were taking but Paradise Helicopters’ website has three main tours of Hacai’i Island, Lana’i Island and O’ahu Island.
The tours of the the Hawai’i Islands includes a ‘Lava and Rainforest Adventure Tour’ that flies over Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes on earth.
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