A tour company helicopter crashed off the Hawaiian island of Kauai late last week killing one person and leaving two missing in the latest in a series of crashes to plague Hawaii’s flightseeing industry in recent years.

A hiker on the Kalalau trail reported seeing the helicopter crash into the water about half a kilometre off the Na Pali Coast on Thursday afternoon and contacted authorities, who later stated the Robinson R44 helicopter was part of Ali’i Kauai Air Tours & Charters.

The company bills itself as the only Hawaiian-family-owned and -operated air tour company on Kauai and its website said it has more than three decades of flying experience. It offers private tours by plane or helicopter.

“Preliminary information indicates that the pilot on board was a local resident, and the two passengers on board are believed to be visitors from the mainland,” Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck said.

The weather at the time was normal for this time of year with winds of about 15 mph to 25 mph, light clouds and scattered showers, authorities said, adding, that the weather was not believed to be concern.”

Last year the US Federal Aviation Administration established a new process for air tour operators in Hawaii to be approved to fly at lower altitudes following other fatal crashes. Tour operators can fly at 460 metres unless they have authorization to go lower. The FAA said it would review each operator’s safety plan before issuing permission.

The move came after three deadly crashes in 2019, including one that killed a pilot and six passengers on the Na Pali Coast. The NTSB blamed the crash on the pilot’s decision to continue flying in bad weather.

Three people died when a tour helicopter crashed in a Honolulu suburb, and 11 were killed when their skydiving plane went down after takeoff on Oahu’s North Shore. Federal investigators blamed that crash on the pilot’s aggressive takeoff.

Another helicopter crashed into a remote Big Island lava field during a sunset tour in June 2022, injuring the six people on board.

In February, one person was injured when a tour helicopter operated by Jack Harter Helicopters crashed at Honopu Beach on the Na Pali Coast, a rugged stretch of Kauai that is only accessible by hiking, kayaking or aerial tour. Three others in the crash were not hurt.

Ladd Sanger, a Texas-based aviation attorney and helicopter pilot, has handled air tour crash litigation in Hawaii and has flown a helicopter over Kauai.

The latest crash shows it’s not prudent to be flying single-engine helicopters over Hawaii, including off Kauai’s rugged coastline, he said.

“If there is an engine problem on Kauai, it is very likely going to be a terrible outcome,” he said. “It is a really rough island, and there are so few places to land a helicopter.”

A Robinson R44 is also more susceptible to Hawaii’s often-changing climates, he said.

“Kauai is gorgeous, and there is no way to see the beauty of Kauai but from a helicopter,” he said. “But it needs to be the right helicopter.”

Not many Hawaii tour companies operate twin-engine turbine helicopters because they’re more expensive, Sanger said.

“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those affected,” David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, said in a statement. “Safety is our highest priority, and we are cooperating fully with all investigating authorities to understand the circumstances surrounding this event.”

While the federal government generally controls air safety measures, Hawaii lawmakers have tried to indirectly make helicopter tours safer, said state Rep. Nadine Nakamura, whose Kauai district includes the Na Pali Coast. But a bill last session attempting to increase aircraft liability insurance didn’t make it to the governor’s desk, she said.

She noted that past crashes have been due to a variety of issues including weather and mechanical problems.

“And that’s what visitors have to weigh – that there have been crashes in the past,” she said. “People have to balance their desire to see remote and exotic places, from a vantage point that is quite stunning, to the risks involved.”