POLIHALE – Firefighters have recovered the bodies of the pilot and passenger involved in Tuesday’s aircraft crash in Waiakamoo Valley in Polihale. Their identities have not yet been released. Officials report that the aircraft, described as a Special Light Sport
POLIHALE – Firefighters have recovered the bodies of the pilot and passenger involved in Tuesday’s aircraft crash in Waiakamoo Valley in Polihale.
Their identities have not yet been released.
Officials report that the aircraft, described as a Special Light Sport Aircraft, was owned by Birds in Paradise. The powered hang gliding company operates out of Port Allen Airport in Hanapepe.
A caller initially notified Police Dispatch of a fire at around 7:50 a.m., but officials soon learned that the fire was caused by the aircraft crash.
Firefighters were able to confirm the fatalities once they arrived on scene at approximately 9 a.m.
This is the first light sport aircraft crash on Kauai since 2011, when two separate crashes resulted in four fatalities. Two people were killed in a crash off Kauai’s South Shore in February of that year. Then in May, a pilot and passenger died when a light sport aircraft crashed in waters off Kauai’s North Shore.
KPD continues to investigate the incident, along with personnel from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board in Honolulu.
Volunteers with Life’s Bridges, a grief counseling service, are assisting families of the victims.
