Tour helicopter crashes off Kauai's Na Pali Coast — 3 dead, 2 injured

A Hughes OH‑6 Cayuse sightseeing helicopter crashed onto a sandbar about 100 yards off Kalalau Beach on Kauai's Na Pali Coast Thursday, killing three and injuring two. The aircraft was operated by Airborne Aviation (also cited as Aviation Airborne); emergency crews responded to the remote scene.

Discovered 2026-03-26T20:58:14.694583-07:00 | 2026-03-26T20:58:14.694583-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Three fatalities and two serious injuries in a commercial sightseeing OH‑6 crash; the operator is reported as Airborne Aviation (also cited as Aviation Airborne) and was noted in coverage for a high public rating.

  • The remote Na Pali Coast location and sandbar impact complicate rescue and evidence recovery, and will drive a formal investigation and operational scrutiny; similar recent fatal rotary‑wing accidents have prompted extended probes, including a territorial‑waters helicopter crash in March ([source:93ccd05b-147d-4417-ae70-58998287843c]) and a February training‑flight helicopter crash in South Korea ([source:07ce3fbc-686f-46c9-9d11-bb5c37223c5a]).

Reported By

Sky News everettpost.com AeroTime Flying Magazine Aviation24 globalnews.ca
Sources Tracked
20
First Seen
2026-03-26T20:58:14.694583-07:00
Latest Update
2026-03-27T14:55:18.809625-07:00
Coverage
Aviation

Sources

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