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Sightseeing Tour Aircraft Accidents

Kreindler Attorneys Monitoring Fatal Hawaii Tourist Helicopter Crash

What Happened

Kalalau Beach in Kauai, Hawaii

On Thursday, March 26, 2026, at approximately 3:45 p.m., a Hughes 369D helicopter crashed off Kalalau Beach in Kauai, Hawaii killing three people and injuring two others. The flight was operated by Airborne Aviation, a sightseeing aviation tour company based in Lihue, Hawaii. The operator's website offers customers a "doors-off thrill seekers adventure."

Kreindler has represented the families of many victims of tour helicopter crashes and has long advocated for improved safety regulations governing the operators and their aircraft.

Kreindler Partner and Veteran Army Helicopter Pilot Brian Alexander recently worked with Congress to develop a bill that would improve safety for passengers and crew of sightseeing tourist helicopters. In 2025. Brian was appointed Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the litigation resulting from the tragic midair collision over the Potomac River between an Army helicopter and American Eagle flight 5342.

According to the FAA Registry, the helicopter was a Hughes model 369D helicopter manufactured in 1979. (The aircraft is also often referred to as a Hughes MD500 helicopter or a MD Helicopters MD500 helicopter. Hughes Helicopters was acquired by McDonnell Douglas in1984 and later renamed MD Helicopters following a merger with The Boeing Company). The Hughes 369D Rotorcraft Turbo-shaft helicopter, registry number N715KV, was registered to AA Leasing LP in Kilauea, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. It was equipped with a Rolls-Royce standard M250 Series engine.

In the Media

Read more at Boston.com
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Preliminary Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash of the Hughes 369D tour helicopter.

Recent Kreindler Sightseeing Helicopter Tour Cases

Recent Kreindler sightseeing helicopter tour cases include:

Kreindler Helicopter Cases

Kreindler attorneys have represented many victims of different types of helicopter cases, including sightseeing tour helicopters, emergency medical helicopters, firefighting helicopters, military helicopters, private and charter helicopters, and corporate helicopters.

About Kreindler

Kreindler maintains law offices in Boston, New York and Los Angeles. The firm is the preeminent aviation accident law firm in the world. Our attorneys have been appointed leading counsel in nearly every major commercial airline disaster case in the U.S. and abroad, including 2025’s tragic collision near Washington, D.C., between an Army helicopter and an American Eagle passenger jet. Kreindler represents 34 of the 67 victims of that crash. In 2024, the firm was named Transportation Law Firm of the Year by the National Law Journal. Kreindler’s aviation practice is led by 3 attorneys who are also commercial-rated, veteran military pilots from the Army, Navy and Marines. Kreindler’s aviation accident practice has achieved an unmatched record of success representing people globally who have been injured or lost family members in international and domestic airline disasters.