What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 24, 2004, approximately 1640 hawaiian standard time, a Bell 206B single-engine helicopter, N16849, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain near Kalaheo, on the island of kauai, Hawaii. The aircraft was registered to and operated by bali hai helicopter tours, inc., of hanapepe, Hawaii, under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a nonstop sightseeing flight. The commercial helicopter pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight departed the Port Allen Airport near hanapepe at 1605, and was destined to return to Port Allen at 1650. The coordinates for the accident site were 21 degrees 59.8 minutes north latitude and 159 degrees 29.9 west longitiude. The operator was conducting nonstop sightseeing tours out of the Port Allen Airport (pka) under a special federal aviation regulation (sfar) 71 letter of authorization (loa). The tour route initiated from pka and consisted of a clockwise flight around the island of kauai that was supposed to encompass the waimea canyon, the napali coast, the Mt. Waialeale crater, and the mana waipuna falls before terminating back at pka.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2004, APPROXIMATELY 1640 HAWAIIAN STANDARD TIME, A BELL 206B SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N16849, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR KALAHEO, ON THE ISLAND OF KAUAI, HAWAII. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY BALI HAI HELICOPTER TOURS, INC., OF HANAPEPE, HAWAII, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A NONSTOP SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. THE COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED THE PORT ALLEN AIRPORT NEAR HANAPEPE AT 1605, AND WAS DESTINED TO RETURN TO PORT ALLEN AT 1650. THE COORDINATES FOR THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE 21 DEGREES 59.8 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE AND 159 DEGREES 29.9 WEST LONGITIUDE. THE OPERATOR WAS CONDUCTING NONSTOP SIGHTSEEING TOURS OUT OF THE PORT ALLEN AIRPORT (PKA) UNDER A SPECIAL FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATION (SFAR) 71 LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION (LOA). THE TOUR ROUTE INITIATED FROM PKA AND CONSISTED OF A CLOCKWISE FLIGHT AROUND THE ISLAND OF KAUAI THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO ENCOMPASS THE WAIMEA CANYON, THE NAPALI COAST, THE MT. WAIALEALE CRATER, AND THE MANA WAIPUNA FALLS BEFORE TERMINATING BACK AT PKA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.