A tour helicopter crashed at an airport on the island of Kauai on Thursday, killing four people and critically injuring three, officials said.
Tragedy on Kauai: Three Killed, Three Injured in Tour Helicopter Crash Near Princeville Airport
KAUAI, Hawaii — What began as a scenic tour of paradise ended in heartbreak Thursday afternoon, when a Heli-USA Airways helicopter crashed just moments before landing at Princeville Airport, killing three passengers and the pilot, and leaving three others critically injured.
Authorities confirmed Friday that the victims and survivors hailed from New York, Arkansas, and California — families brought together by tragedy in one of Hawaii’s most beautiful places.
According to officials, the helicopter’s pilot, William Joseph Sulak, a highly experienced aviator and Vietnam War veteran with over 10,000 flight hours, had radioed moments before impact to report hydraulic problems. Seconds later, witnesses heard a deafening boom and the crunch of metal as the aircraft slammed into the ground roughly 200 yards from its normal landing pad.
Two men and two women were on board. Three passengers — John O’Donnell of East Rockaway, N.Y.; Teri McCarty of Cabot, Ark.; and Margriet Scholtz of Santa Maria, Calif. — were killed, along with the pilot. Three others — Veronica O’Donnell, James McCarty, and Cornelius Scholtz — survived but remain in critical condition at Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived Friday to examine the wreckage and determine what caused the crash. FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor said the A-Star helicopter had a clean maintenance record with no recent safety concerns.
Nigel Turner, CEO of Heli-USA Airways, expressed sorrow over the tragedy, emphasizing the company’s long-standing safety record. “We’ve flown over a million passengers,” Turner said. “This is only our second serious accident in all that time. I wouldn’t hesitate to put my own family in our helicopters.”
The investigation continues as the Kauai community mourns the lives lost in a crash that turned a routine sightseeing flight into an unimaginable tragedy.
