This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
On Thursday, December 26, 2019, a tour helicopter disappeared in Hawaii while carrying seven people, including two children, on a tour of Kauai's Na Pali Coast.
According to the Coast Guard, the search began after the helicopter's owner reported that the aircraft was overdue. The helicopter was carrying a pilot and six passengers, and although it has an electronic locator, no signal had been received.
Weather conditions in the area were challenging, with limited visibility due to clouds and rain, and winds of 28 miles per hour. The forecast for Friday predicted scattered showers and winds around 23 miles per hour.
Helicopter tours are common above the island of Kauai, which is Hawaii's fourth-largest island. Eighty percent of the island is uninhabited, and much of that area is a state park.
Deaths involving helicopters and planes in Hawaii are not uncommon. In April 2019, three people were killed in a helicopter crash on Oahu, and in June 2019, 11 people were killed in a skydiving plane crash north of Honolulu.
