Investigation continues into fatal Kauai helicopter crash
KAUAI COUNTY, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Four people are confirmed dead after a civilian contracted helicopter crashed near the Barking Sands Airport on Kauai. All four are confirmed to be civilian personnel.
According to a public affairs official at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), the crash occurred on the north side of the Barking Sands installation. PMRF is located about 10 miles northwest of the town of Kekaha.
Four people are confirmed dead after a civilian contracted helicopter crashed near the Barking Sands Airport on Kauai.
The helicopter, contracted by Croman Corporation, was flying in support of a range training operation, the officials said. Croman Corporation provides range support services to PMRF.
“More information will be made available, but at this moment the primary focus is to allow first responders to handle the situation,” the official said in a statement to KITV4 about the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed they are investigating the cause of the crash of a Sikorsky S-61N helicopter near Kekaha. NTSB investigators are expected to arrived some time on Wednesday, Feb. 23.
A boat tour company – Na Pali Riders -- happened to be out on the ocean at the time and witnessed the helicopter go down.
"I've seen this helicopter probably a thousand times over the last 25 years. And what that helicopter does is it scoops up the missile cartridge leftover from when the missiles are shot off," said Chris Turner.
Turner, the owner of the company, spoke with KITV4 about the crash. He said his boat was about a quarter mile away from the north side of the PMRF runway when the crash happened.
"The [helicopter] then erratically…turned to the right. And then it accelerated at a really high speed straight down, nose down,” Turner said. "You heard the impact and it was quite loud...like a bomb. That’s the closest you could describe.”
PMRF is the world's largest instrumented, multi-dimensional testing and training missile range. It is operated and controlled by the US Navy.
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii.
