One person was injured Tuesday afternoon when a medical air transport helicopter made a hard landing on its approach to Kona International Airport.
One person was injured Tuesday afternoon when a medical air transport helicopter made a hard landing on its approach to Kona International Airport.
The crash occurred at 5:12 p.m. just short of the helicopter’s landing pad at the airport, Hawaii Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said Wednesday.
Two people were aboard the aircraft. One was taken to the hospital with complaints of back pain, while the other was uninjured, Sluyter said.
FAA Spokesman Ian Gregor also confirmed the crash involving an AS-350 B3 helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter France, as well as reported injuries. He said the helicopter sustained “substantial” damage in the hard landing, adding that the helicopter’s tail boom separated from the aircraft during the landing.
The FAA is continuing to investigate the incident, he said.
A check of the FAA Registry for aircraft shows the helicopter was registered to Eagle Air Med Corp., an air ambulance service company based in South Jordan, Utah. A message left for further comment was not returned as of press time.