POLIHALE — A state mission to remove rubbish from a remote Westside valley was partially sidelined yesterday afternoon when one of two helicopters hauling the trash out made a crash-landing at nearby Polihale State Park. There were no injuries, but
POLIHALE — A state mission to remove rubbish from a remote Westside valley was partially sidelined yesterday afternoon when one of two helicopters hauling the trash out made a crash-landing at nearby Polihale State Park.
There were no injuries, but the impact ripped the rear assembly off the Inter-Island Air Helicopters Hughes 500 aircraft.
The red Air 1 doorless chopper was using a longline and cargo net as a sling to haul trash out of Kalalau Valley along the rugged Na Pali Coast when it ran into trouble.
After releasing a load mid-flight at the drop spot on the northern beach area of Polihale, the aircraft pitched forward on the nose and yawed back on the tail in an attempt to recover, said a couple visiting the island who asked to remain anonymous because they were threatened by a man on the scene. After another nose dive, the chopper again yawed aft and crashed tail-first into the ground before landing hard on its skids around 11:30 a.m. in the middle of a dirt public access road, the visitors said.
The pilot, Floyd Ingram, was able to walk away from the aircraft. He declined to comment on the incident.
An Inter-Island employee at the scene said it was just a hard landing and the pilot was still a little shaken up.
The Federal Aviation Administration promptly launched an investigation.
Kekaha residents watching from a nearby pavilion said the crash happened after the aircraft’s fourth or fifth trip into the valley where it was picking up trash at beach campsites and along the world-renowned Na Pali Coast Trail.
The chopper was flying fast and sounded maxed out carrying a load some 30 feet off the ground when it lost control, said the visiting couple.
A Kekaha resident said the motor stopped and the aircraft quickly lost altitude.
Two pickup trucks were parked across the public access road near the busted chopper, blocking vehicle access.
State Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman Laura Stevens said Inter-Island was performing semi-routine service work with the helicopter.
The trash is hauled out, dropped at Polihale and trucked to Kekaha Landfill, she said.
No state employees were aboard the aircraft when the crash occurred, Stevens said.
Inter-Island owner Ken D’Attilio piloted the other aircraft involved in the rubbish removal project.
He continued his work while Ingram awaited the FAA yesterday afternoon, Stevens said.
D’Attilio did not return a call seeking comment by press time.
Yesterday marked the first state sweep of the valley this year, Stevens said. The rubbish removal work occurs yearly or as funding is available.
Inter-Island routinely assists the county in search and rescue missions and fire emergencies. The company also runs commercial aerial island tours.
On March 11, 2007, an Inter-Island aircraft crashed at YMCA Camp Nauea in Ha‘ena, seriously injuring three people and killing one.
It was the second of two fatal helicopter accidents that occurred in a four-day period last year.
On March 8, 2007, a Heli-USA air tour killed four people, including the pilot, and critically injured three.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com
