Three people died and two others were injured when a tour helicopter operated by Airborne Aviation crashed into the ocean near Kalalau Beach on Kauai’s Na Pali Coast on March 26, 2026. The Hughes 500 helicopter, carrying one pilot and four passengers, went down around 3:45 p.m. local time, prompting a text-to-911 alert to Kauai Police Dispatch.
County officials initially reported all five aboard injured, but updated that three had died at the scene while the two survivors were rescued by bystanders, Kauai Fire Department crews, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel. The survivors were transported to Wilcox Medical Center in Lihue for treatment.
Authorities identified two victims at a Friday news conference: 65-year-old Margaret Rimmler and 59-year-old Patrick Haskell, a married couple from Massachusetts. The third victim, a 40-year-old woman, awaits family notification. Responding agencies included the Coast Guard, Kauai Fire Department, Kauai Emergency Management Agency, American Medical Response, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Kauai Police Department.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the aircraft model, while the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and plans to examine the wreckage once recovered from the water. Kalalau Beach, accessible only by boat, helicopter, or trail, draws tourists for its cliffs, beaches, and waterfalls via popular sightseeing flights.