One killed in Kaho'olawe helicopter crash

Advertier Staff

A civilian helicopter being used as part of the Navy's cleanup of unexploded ordnance on Kaho'olawe crashed today at 11:50 a.m., killing the pilot, the Navy said. The helicopter is owned and operated by Pacific Helicopter.

The crash happened on land near Ahupu Bay, said Bert Freeland, assistant to the Maui County medical examiner.

The helicopter, a UH-1 Bell helicopter, crashed and burned during “lift operations” at 11:50 a.m., a Federal Aviation Administration operations spokesperson said. The pilot was only person aboard the helicopter, the Navy and FAA said.

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team of investigators to the scene, the spokesperson said.

The accident did not involve ordnance, the Navy said. It was the first fatality associated with the cleanup of Kaho'olawe, the Navy said.