7 Die in Crash of Hawaii Tour Helicopter on Maui
WAILUKU, Hawaii — A tour helicopter on a sightseeing flight crashed Friday on the island of Maui, killing all seven people aboard, the company’s owner said.
The Blue Hawaiian Helicopters AS355 twin-engine aircraft was reported missing after it failed to return from a 35-minute tour of the rugged West Maui Mountains.
The wreckage was found near the chopper’s last known radar fix, said Wil Absher of the Coast Guard’s Joint Coordination Rescue Center in Honolulu.
“We’re crushed, we’re devastated and our hearts go out to the families,” said Patti Chevalier, who owns the tour company with her husband, Dave, a scout pilot during the Vietnam War.
Chevalier declined to identify the passengers but said they were all tourists. She said the pilot had more than 11,000 hours of flying experience and had been with the company for more than a year.
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