Officials said the Kalalau Trail remained open to a certain point.

Tour operations suspended with investigation underway

Airborne Aviation expressed condolences and said the company will cooperate with federal investigators.

“It hits all of us to our core when something like this happens, all of us in the industry,” said Doug Froning, Airborne Aviation’s director of operations.

“Right now, we have suspended all operations for an indefinite period of time until we’re certain we can continue safely,” he said.

Froning noted that one helicopter departed Friday morning to help transport members of a conservation agency “out of the mountains,” and all other efforts have “been in support of this accident and investigation and aircraft recovery.

He said the company will also “do all we can” to help the victims and their families.

“We got into it because we love flying. Just a pure love for aviation, seeing a beautiful state like Hawaii from the air. And we treat everyone that comes onboard our aircraft like family,” he said.

When asked about possible causes, Froning replied, “The investigation is just getting started, so anything we’d say up here would just be guessing.”

What’s next

Froning said work took place Friday to remove the aircraft from the water, and noted that FAA and NTSB investigators were expected to arrive Friday night or early Saturday.

Officials said additional details are being limited to protect privacy and the integrity of the investigation.

Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami thanked first responders for operating in a “remote and challenging” area and asked the public to keep the victims’ families and responders in their thoughts.

“Kalalau Beach is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but it is also one of the most remote,” Kawakami said.

Asked whether the county should reevaluate tourism flight paths, Kawakami said that decision is not a county call.

“That is out of our wheelhouse,” he said. “That’s an FAA decision.”