Hawaiian authorities have confirmed five people died Thursday when a tour helicopter operated by Blue Hawaiian charters crashed on Molokai Island. The EC-130 chopper went down in Kilohana shortly after departing from Kahului for a 45 minute tour. A spokesman for the Maui County government said the crash occurred at 12:15 p.m. about a quarter of a mile from Kilohana Elementary School.
The helicopter burst into flames upon impact. The dead included a pilot and two couples. One of the couples were newlyweds, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The names of the victims have not been released.
“We’re extremely grieved for our pilot as well as the passengers,” said Blue Hawaiian owner David Chevalier. “Something like this can’t be more devastating to us.”
The cause of the crash is unknown and is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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