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Plane CrashesVersion 2

Three Killed, Two Seriously Injured in Helicopter Crash Near Haena, Kauaʻi

An NTSB accident record lists five people aboard a Hughes 369D that came down early on March 27, 2026; the cause has not been determined.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 7, 2026, 9:15 a.m. ET
people were killed and two seriously injured when a helicopter came down near Haena, on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, early on March 27, 2026, according to the accident record held by the National Transportation Safety Board. The event is developing and details may change. The accident record lists the time as about local, with people on board, fatalities and two serious injuries. The aircraft is identified in the record as a registered , operated by , and is listed as having sustained substantial damage. The record classifies the flight as a Part 135 commuter or on-demand operation. Geographic reference data places Haena in Kauaʻi County, Hawaii, at a settlement elevation of 30 feet, 7. miles east of Princeville Airport (HI01/HPV) — as listed, 7. miles W of Princeville — and 17 miles from Hanamaulu Airstrip (HI03). That reference locates the settlement, not the accident site. Weather observations recorded at Barking Sands Airport (PHBK), 20.1 miles away and 12 minutes from the reported time, show wind from 10 degrees at 12 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 4,900 feet and a temperature of 70°F. Those are instrument readings at a separate field and are not a statement by anyone about what happened. The cause has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation
30 ft
Nearest aerodrome
7.3 miles W of Princeville Airport (HI01/HPV)

Sources

No sources recorded.

Revision history

  1. Version 27 Aug 2026, 13:15current

    Corrected the garbled bearing between Haena and Princeville Airport, split the weather reading into its own paragraph, and clarified that the geographic reference locates the settlement rather than the accident site.

  2. Version 15 Aug 2026, 16:18

    First published.

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