Helicopter Crashes in Hawaii; 5 Missing
The burned wreckage of a missing tour helicopter was spotted Saturday in a remote mountainous area of Kauai, but rescuers were unable to reach the area before dark to learn if the pilot and his four passengers survived.
PORT ALLEN, Hawaii (AP) -- The burned wreckage of a missing tour helicopter was spotted Saturday in a remote mountainous area of Kauai, but rescuers were unable to reach the area before dark to learn if the pilot and his four passengers survived.
The helicopter, reported missing on Friday, apparently crashed into a ridge and burst into flames, said Kauai Fire Department rescue specialist Ehren Edwards, who saw the crash site from the air.
Still missing were the pilot, a 36-year-old man, a 30-year-old woman, and a German couple on board, officials said. Rescuers planned to resume the search Sunday.
The pilot, who formerly flew with India's air force, has flown tours for the past two months, Coast Guard Lt. Danny Shaw said.
The craft belonging to Bali Hai Helicopter Tours was reported missing after it failed to return from a one-hour tour. Darkness forced the Coast Guard to suspend an initial search Friday night.
No emergency locator transmitter was required aboard the craft, said Jennifer Johnson, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.
A man who answered the telephone at Bali Hai declined comment.
In July 2003, five people were killed when a tour helicopter operated by a different company crashed in central Kauai.
