Updated at 9:08 p.m., Sunday, March 11, 2007
Inter-Island, Heli USA linked in 2005 copter crash
Advertiser Staff
The helicopter companies — Heli USA and Inter-Island Helicopters — that had two fatal crashes in the past four days on Kaua'i were involved in a controversy in 2005 over another fatal crash.Glen Lampton, the pilot of a Heli USA flight that crashed into the ocean near Ha'ena Point during a rain storm on Sept. 23, 2005, told investigators that just before the crash he suddenly saw an Inter-Island Helicopters pilot come straight toward him, then made a left turn to avoid an accident.
The Heli USA flight crashed soon after that, killing three people.
The pilot of the Inter-Island helicopter, Ian Bagano, told investigators he was several miles away at the time of the accident.
Bagano and two other helicopter pilots said they all made controlled descents to get out of heavy rain showers.
Inter-Island's owner, Ken D'Attilio, at the time blamed the accident on Lampton's lack of experience in flying helicopters around Kaua'i.
D'Attilio declined to comment today.
At the time, Lampton had about 16 years of helicopter flying experience but had worked for Heli USA for only six or seven weeks.
The two surviving passengers from that crash said they saw another helicopter but it was so far away that they didn't believe Lampton had to get out of its way.
