Hawaii’s location and climate make it a center for commercial aviation and general aviation activity. Websites and colorful hotel brochures discuss the beauty and inaccessibility of the islands that can only really be appreciated by air. Helicopter tours to remote waterfalls and volcanic sites present potential accident hazards to flight operators.

Helicopter flights have proven fatal to both tourists and pilots in Hawaii. Air tourism in the State of Hawaii has grown rapidly, particularly on the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii. The growth of the tourist industry, the beauty of the islands, and the inaccessibility of some areas on the islands generated significant growth in the number of air tour flights. It has been reported that over 60 Hawaii helicopter tours have had accidents in the past 40 years. During the 9 years between 1982 and 1991, there were 11 air tour accidents with 24 fatalities. There was an escalation of accidents in the 3-year period between 1991 and 1994, during which time there were 20 air tour accidents with 24 fatalities. The National Transportation Safety Board identified 59 crashes of helicopter air tour flights in Hawaii from 1981-2008 that killed 46 tourists and 9 pilots in 16 fatal crashes. Aircraft malfunctions, primarily due to poor maintenance, precipitated 34 (58%) of the crashes and persisted throughout the 28-yr period. Pilot errors were apparent in 23 crashes (39%). Terrain unsuitable for landing was cited in 37 crashes (63%). To combat fatal helicopter crashes the FAA introduced new regulations specific to air tours in Hawaii which evolved into national standards for helicopter tourism. It helped considerably but helicopter crashes still happen during tourist operations. An unintended consequence of the rule change prompted helicopter operators to fly higher and closer to clouds. Flight from visual to instrument conditions occurred in two cases before the rule change and seven cases after.