Helicopter crash in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii

On 18 February, an amateur video operator filmed this impressive helicopter crash in Hawaii. The aircraft, a Bell 206, crashed into the water close to Pearl Harbour naval base, near Honolulu International Airport.

On board were the pilot, and four members of a Canadian family on vacation, who were undertaking a tourist flight over the island when the accident occurred. The reason for the helicopter suddenly dropping out of the sky just a few metres offshore as yet remains unknown.

Despite the immediate help provided by onlookers at the scene and paramedics, the toll was heavy; a 16 year old boy, taken to hospital, did not survive, and the pilot’s condition is considered very serious. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.