hawaii tour helicopter crashes in lava field with 6 onboard

Hawaii tour helicopter crashes in lava field; all 6 people on board survive

All six people on board a helicopter that crashed in a lava field in Hawaii on Wednesday survived, but two were in serious condition, officials said.

Cyrus Johnasen, a spokesperson for Hawaii County, said it was a tour helicopter with a pilot and five passengers.

The pilot, a man in his 50s, was trapped, but he was later extracted. He was stable in serious condition, Johnasen said. An 18-year-old woman was reported in serious and worsening condition. Four people were reported as ambulatory.

An initial report that came in at around 5 p.m. said the aircraft had crashed near the southernmost tip of the Big Island, Johnasen said. The site was inaccessible by vehicle, so the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to take victims to ambulances waiting at nearby roads.

The downed helicopter was described as a Bell 407 by its operating company, K&S Helicopters. The crash occurred in the Kaʻu region, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

“K&S Helicopters is cooperating with all authorities involved, and is also working to assist those affected,” the statement said. “The care of our passengers, crew members, and their families is our highest priority.”

No information about what caused the crash was immediately released.

Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

The Associated Press

Tourist helicopter carrying 6 crashes in Hawaii lava field

Five passengers and a pilot were on a Paradise Helicopters tour over Kau.

A tourist helicopter carrying six people crashed on Wednesday evening in a lava field on Hawaii’s Big Island.

Five passengers and a pilot were on a Paradise Helicopters tour over Kau, the island's southernmost district, when the helicopter crashed at about 5:29 p.m., the company said in a statement.

Emergency responders flew two helicopters to the site of the crash to carry those aboard, two of whom were in critical condition, to Kona Community Hospital, according to KITV4 , the local ABC News affiliate.

The Bell 407 aircraft was operated by K &S Helicopters, Paradise said.

“The care of our passengers, crew members, and their families is our highest priority,” Calvin Dorn of K &S Helicopters said in a statement posted to Paradise Helicopters' website.

The company said it had completed a manifest verification, which showed six people were onboard at the time of the crash.

ABC News' Marilyn Heck and Zachary Ferber contributed to this report.

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Tourist helicopter carrying 6 crashes in Hawaii lava field, leaving 2 in serious condition

A helicopter crashed in a lava field in Hawaii on Wednesday and all six people on board have been safely evacuated from the site, but two are in serious condition, officials said.

Cyrus Johnasen, a public information office for Hawaii County, said it was a tour helicopter with a pilot and five passengers. He said the pilot, a man in his 50s, had been trapped but was later extracted and was in serious but stable condition. An 18-year-old woman was reported in serious and worsening condition. Four people were reported as ambulatory. No other information on their identities was immediately released.

The initial report came in about 5 p.m. and said the aircraft had crashed near the southern most tip of the Big Island, Johnasen said. The site was inaccessible by vehicle so the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to take victims to ambulances waiting at nearby roads.

'What makes Hawaii Hawaii?': Exploring Hawaiian heritage at Haleakalā National Park   

“It’s a fluid situation,” Mayor Mitch Roth said.

Johnasen said it was unclear if all six had been transported to hospitals or if emergency responders were continuing treatment themselves in the ambulances.

No information was immediately released on what caused the crash.

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Tour helicopter crashes in Hawaii lava field with 6 on board

June 9, 2022 / 5:43 AM EDT / CBS/AP

A helicopter crashed in a lava field in Hawaii Wednesday but all six people on board were safely evacuated, officials said. Two were in serious condition.

Cyrus Johnasen, a public information office for Hawaii County, said the tour helicopter was carrying a pilot and five passengers.

He said the pilot, a man in his 50s, was trapped but was later extracted and was in serious but stable condition.

CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV reports that a 19-year-old woman was also in serious condition.

All on board were brought to hospitals, the station says.

The 19-year-old was airlifted while the rest were taken by ambulance, KGMB added.

The initial report came in about 5 p.m. and said the aircraft had crashed near the southernmost tip of the Big Island, Johnasen said. The site was inaccessible by vehicle so the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to take victims to ambulances waiting at nearby roads.

KGMB says the chopper belongs to Paradise Helicopters, which identified it as a Bell 407. There was no immediate word on what may have gone wrong or where the chopper was headed.

But the company said it was cooperating with authorities and seeking to assist those involved.

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Helicopter tour carrying 6 people crashes in Hawaii lava field

The crashed helicopter is pictured in a provided image on June 8, 2022. (Credit: Hawaiʻi Fire Department)

A tourist helicopter crashed on Wednesday in a lava field in Hawaii , injuring all six people on board who were evacuated safely from the site, officials said.

The initial report came in about 5 p.m. and said the aircraft had crashed near the southernmost tip of the Big Island, said Cyrus Johnasen, a public information officer for Hawaii County.

The helicopter was carrying a pilot and five passengers. Johnasen said the pilot, a man in his 50s, had been trapped but was later extracted and was in serious but stable condition. An 18-year-old woman was reported in serious and worsening condition. Four people were reported as ambulatory. 

One of the passengers, a 48-year-old man, managed to walk from the crash site, according to KHON-TV .

Photos taken by rescuers showed the Bell 407 helicopter crashed in the lava field. The site was inaccessible by vehicle so the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to take victims to ambulances waiting on nearby roads.

"It’s a fluid situation," Mayor Mitch Roth said. 

No information was immediately released on what caused the crash.

The weather in the area about the time included winds of about 16 mph, gusts of about 23 mph, and some scattered or broken clouds, Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told KHON-TV.

"Standard, afternoon weather on the Big Island," he said.

RELATED: US Navy helicopter crashes near U.S.-Mexico border

This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.

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Helicopter carrying 6 crashes in Hawaii lava field

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A helicopter crashed in a lava field in Hawaii on Wednesday and all six people on board have been safely evacuated from the site, but two are in serious condition, officials said.

Cyrus Johnasen, a public information office for Hawaii County, said it was a tour helicopter with a pilot and five passengers. He said the pilot, a man in his 50s, had been trapped but was later extracted and was in serious but stable condition. An 18-year-old woman was reported in serious and worsening condition. Four people were reported as ambulatory. No other information on their identities was immediately released.

The initial report came in about 5 p.m. and said the aircraft had crashed near the southern most tip of the Big Island, Johnasen said. The site was inaccessible by vehicle so the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to take victims to ambulances waiting at nearby roads.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Mayor Mitch Roth said.

Johnasen said it was unclear if all six had been transported to hospitals or if emergency responders were continuing treatment themselves in the ambulances.

No information was immediately released on what caused the crash.

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Six hospitalised after tourist helicopter crashes in Hawaiian lava field

Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the crash, article bookmarked.

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A tourist helicopter carrying six people crashed into a Hawaiian lava field, leaving two passengers in critical condition.

On Wednesday, five passengers chartered a tour with Paradise Helicopters to explore the Big Island . The helicopter reportedly crashed just before 5.30pm while flying over Kau, the Big Island's southernmost district.

Emergency responders rushed to the lava fields where the helicopter crashed and began recovery efforts. Two of the passengers were found to be in critical condition. Initial reports from the crash suggested that all six of the helicopter's occupants were taken to nearby hospitals.

First responders could not access the crash site using ground vehicles, forcing them to use a helicopter to shuttle the injured to waiting ambulances.

According to officials, the pilot was trapped in the wreckage and rescuers had to dig through the twisted metal to conduct an extraction.

According to Hawaii News Now , one of the passengers who was seriously injured in the crash was a 19-year-old woman. She was airlifted from the scene to the Kona Community Hospital.

Among the rest of the passengers were two other teenage girls, a 23-year-old man, a 48-year-old man, and a 54-year-old man.

It is unclear based on initial reports what went wrong during the flight to bring the helicopter down. Paradise Helicopters said it is cooperating with law enforcement to get to the bottom of the crash.

“The care of our passengers, crew members and their families is our highest priority,” Calvin Dorn, of K&S Helicopters, said. K&S operates Paradise Helicopters.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.

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Breaking news, helicopter carrying 6 passengers crashes in hawaii lava field.

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A helicopter crashed in a lava field in Hawaii on Wednesday and all six people on board have been safely evacuated from the site, but two are in serious condition, officials said.

Cyrus Johnasen, a public information office for Hawaii County, said it was a tour helicopter with a pilot and five passengers. He said the pilot, a man in his 50s, had been trapped but was later extracted and was in serious but stable condition. An 18-year-old woman was reported in serious and worsening condition. Four people were reported as ambulatory. No other information on their identities was immediately released.

The initial report came in about 5 p.m. and said the aircraft had crashed near the southern most tip of the Big Island, Johnasen said. The site was inaccessible by vehicle so the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to take victims to ambulances waiting at nearby roads.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Mayor Mitch Roth said.

Johnasen said it was unclear if all six had been transported to hospitals or if emergency responders were continuing treatment themselves in the ambulances.

No information was immediately released on what caused the crash.

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Hawaii crash investigation set after 6 injured on tour helicopter

All 6 people on the helicopter were injured in the crash.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will reportedly investigate after a tour helicopter crashed Wednesday on a remote lava field on Hawaii's Big Island.

Photos of the site – near South Point – taken by rescuers showed the Bell 407 helicopter ripped apart amid a jagged landscape. 

Officials said that all six people on the helicopter at the time of the crash were injured, forcing some officials to fly in to extricate some from the wreckage. 

Cyrus Johnasen, a public information officer for Hawaii County, said the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to reach the passengers.

HAWAII TOUR HELICOPTER CRASHES IN LAVA FIELD WITH 6 ONBOARD

Two of the crash victims were in serious condition.

Three people were extricated, including an 18-year-old woman, a 19-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man, and a 48-year-old man also walked from the crash site.

The scene of a helicopter crash in a Big Island lava field in Hawaii on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (Hawaii County Fire Department via AP)

Officials said that all six people on the helicopter at the time of the crash on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, were injured. (Hawaii County Fire Department via AP)

The pilot, a man in his 50s, was later extracted and was in serious but stable condition .

No other information on their identities was immediately released.

1 DEAD, 8 INJURED AFTER VEHICLE DRIVES INTO CROWD IN BERLIN, AUTHORITIES SAY

Johnasen said it was unclear if all six had been transported to hospitals or if emergency responders were continuing treatment themselves in ambulances.

The Associated Press reported that a spokesperson from the NTSB explained the helicopter had departed from Kona International Airport at about 5 p.m. local time, crashing around 30 minutes later.

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The lava field is more than a mile from the closest road. 

The crash comes amid a push to regulate tour operators. 

Fox News' Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News and Fox Business Digital. 

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Helicopter Carrying 6 Crashes in Hawaii Lava Field

No immediate information was available on what caused the crash, by michelle a. monroe • published june 9, 2022 • updated on june 9, 2022 at 7:43 am.

A helicopter crashed in a lava field in Hawaii on Wednesday and all six people on board have been safely evacuated from the site, but two are in serious condition, officials said.

Cyrus Johnasen, a public information office for Hawaii County, said it was a tour helicopter with a pilot and five passengers. He said the pilot, a man in his 50s, had been trapped but was later extracted and was in serious but stable condition. An 18-year-old woman was reported in serious and worsening condition. Four people were reported as ambulatory. No other information on their identities was immediately released.

The initial report came in about 5 p.m. and said the aircraft had crashed near the southern most tip of the Big Island, Johnasen said. The site was inaccessible by vehicle so the Hawaii Fire Department sent two helicopters to take victims to ambulances waiting at nearby roads.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Mayor Mitch Roth said.

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Johnasen said it was unclear if all six had been transported to hospitals or if emergency responders were continuing treatment themselves in the ambulances.

No information was immediately released on what caused the crash.

This article tagged under:

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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

By Gina Martinez For Dailymail.Com

Published: 10:45 EDT, 9 June 2022 | Updated: 11:10 EDT, 9 June 2022

View comments

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. 

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. 

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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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