Three Die in Kailua Helicopter Crash

Three people are confirmed dead in a helicopter crash in a residential neighborhood in Kailua on Oʻahu, Capt. Scot Seguirant with the Honolulu Fire Department tells Maui Now.

Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration say they believe the helicopter was a four-seat Robinson R44 aircraft.  Preliminary information indicates that the helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances at around 9 a.m. today, Monday, April 29, 2019.

Two FAA safety inspectors were en route to the crash site at last report.  Both the FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident.   Authorities tell Maui Now that it typically takes the NTSB a year or more to determine a probable cause of an accident.

Various media reports indicate that the crash occurred on Oneawa Street.  It was raining in the area at the time of the incident.

Further details have been released by HFD:

On April 29, 2019, at 9:13 a.m. the Honolulu Fire Department responded to a helicopter crash in Kailua on the island of Oahu with seven units including HFD’s helicopter Air1, staffed with 24 personnel. The first HFD unit arrived at 9:18 a.m. and found the crashed helicopter on fire in the roadway fronting 745 Oneawa Street. Neighbors were controlling the fire with garden hoses. Personnel established command and initiated a fire attack to extinguish the fire. The fire was brought under control at 9:23 a.m. and extinguished at 9:40 a.m. Three victims were dead on arrival. It was reported that neighbors had pulled one victim from the burning wreckage. There were multiple reports of debris falling from the helicopter involved with the crash over a large geographic area. No other injuries were reported for this incident.