1990s

Lava Flow Buries Kalapana Village

In 1990, a lava flow from Kīlauea Volcano on Hawai‘i Island buried the village of Kalapana.

Shark Attacks Women

On November 26, 1991, a 41-year-old woman was swimming about 100 yards offshore at Olowalu on Maui when she was killed by a tiger shark.[i] The woman owned an oceanfront Olowalu home. Her death prompted the formation of a Shark Task Force as well as a state-sanctioned shark hunt.

Bodyboarder Disappears, Board Bitten

On February 19, 1992, a bodyboarder who had been in the water west of O‘ahu’s Waimea Bay at a spot known as Leftovers did not return to shore. The next morning his bodyboard was found with a large piece missing.

The 16-inch crescent taken out of the bodyboard was presumably due to a shark bite.[ii]

Helicopter Crashes on Haleakalā

On April 22, 1992, a Beech E18S helicopter crashed near Maui’s Haleakalā crater, killing all nine aboard. Investigators concluded the pilot was to blame for flying into bad weather.

Hurricane ‘Iniki Slams Kaua‘i

On September 11, 1992, the eye of Hurricane ‘Iniki passed directly over Kaua‘i. ‘Iniki began brewing far southeast of the Hawaiian Islands. The winds within the hurricane continued to grow to more than 100 miles per hour as the whole hurricane slowly moved north-northwest at about 20 miles per hour. Eventually the path of the hurricane turned due north and the hurricane made a direct hit on Kaua‘i

As Hurricane ‘Iniki proceeded over the island of Kaua‘i, a ferocious gust of wind within the hurricane was clocked at 227 miles per hour, a measurement that was taken by the Navy’s Mākaha Ridge radar station. Soon after that digital readout was sent, the wind gauging equipment was blown off the mountain!

Property damage due to Hurricane ‘Iniki totaled more than $3 billion, including damage to over 70% of Kaua‘i’s homes. In all, about 14,000 homes and apartments were damaged, including 1,421 that were completely destroyed. The community of Princeville topped the list with 279 homes destroyed.

At the time of the hurricane there were 8,200 hotel, condo, and bed and breakfast rooms on Kaua‘i, and ‘Iniki shut down 90% of them.

Helicopter Crashes on Haleakalā

On September 16, 1992, seven people on a helicopter tour died when the Aerospatiale Astar helicopter crashed on Haleakalā Crater’s southern slope. An investigation determined that pilot error caused the crash.

Shark Attacks Bodyboarder

On November 5, 1992, a bodyboarder offshore of O‘ahu’s Kea‘au Beach Park on the Wai‘anae coast died after being bitten on the right leg by a shark estimated to be about 11 feet long.[iii]

Lava Shelf Collapse Claims Victim

In April of 1993, a man died on Hawai‘i Island when the ½-acre lava shelf he stood upon fell into the sea. More than a dozen others in the area at the time were injured when they were struck by flying debris. The lava shelf where the man was standing was closed off to the public, but the man ignored the warnings.[iv]

Helicopter Crashes into Ocean

On June 25, 1993, the pilot of a Hilleer 1100 helicopter lost control of his tail rotor and the craft plunged into the ocean offshore of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Four passengers were killed in the crash, but the pilot survived. The crash was blamed on loss of rotor control.

Helicopter Crash on Kaua‘i Kills One

On April 18, 1994, one person was killed and four were injured when a Hughes 369D helicopter crashed near Kaua‘i’s Hanapēpē Valley. The crash was blamed on engine failure.[v]

Helicopter Crashes into Ocean, Killing Three

On July 14, 1994, an Aerospatiale AS350 helicopter suffered engine failure and crashed into the ocean just offshore of Kaua‘i’s Nāpali coastline. Three of the seven passengers died.

Lava-Heated Water Scalds Two

In 1994, two people viewing molten lava pouring into the ocean on Hawai‘i Island’s Kīlauea Volcano were severely scalded by hot water when a lava shelf collapsed.[vi]

Elephant Goes on Rampage

On August 20, 1994, a 9,000-pound African elephant named Tyke performing in the Circus International mauled her groomer and then killed her trainer before running from Blaisdell Arena into the streets of Kaka‘ako and then killing another man.

Honolulu police officers used high-powered rifles to shoot the elephant.[vii]

Plane Crashes in ‘Īao Valley

On March 25, 1995, the pilot of a twin-engine Cessna plane died when he crashed in Maui’s ‘Īao Valley.

Waterfall Jump Fatal

On June 18, 1995, a 31-year-old man jumped off Kaua‘i’s 80-foot-high Wailua Falls, resulting in a broken tailbone, severe bruising, and torn flesh. When asked why he jumped off the falls, he replied that it was for the thrill of it. Eight days later he died due to a massive strep infection.

Shark Attacks Champion Bodyboarder

On October 28, 1997, a young man who is also a champion bodyboarder lost his lower right leg to a shark at the surf spot known as Majors along the coastline of the Pacific Missile Range Facility. He was about 150 yards (137 m) offshore when the attack occurred. His right hand, which he used to fight off the shark, was also injured and suffered nerve damage.[viii]

Man Killed in Slide Down Lava Cone

In April of 1998, a resident of Laupāhoehoe on Hawai‘i Island died when he fell into the sea after sliding down the side of a coastal lava cone.[ix]

Helicopter Crashes in Crater of Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale

On June 25, 1998, an Aerostar 350 BA helicopter with a pilot and five passengers aboard approached Kaua‘i’s Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale, often called the “wettest spot on Earth.” “Boy, the weather is looking bad right here,” said the pilot as he entered the volcano’s waterfall-laced, summit crater, which was dense with clouds.

Soon after entering the crater, the pilot said over his radio, “I can’t see,” and then crashed directly into the side of the mountain cliff about 200 feet below the ridge, at an elevation of about 2,400 feet, instantly killing the six people aboard.

When the crash occurred, the helicopter was under power and nearly perpendicular to the cliff’s face.[x]

Shark Bites Swimmer

On March 5, 1999, a woman suffered a 13-inch shark bite to her leg as she was swimming offshore at Ka‘anapali, Maui.[xi]

Honeymooner Attacked by Shark

On March 18, 1999, two honeymooners were enjoying their honeymoon on Maui, and went kayaking off the Lahaina coast. The man was rescued three days later on Kaho‘olawe, and stated that he and his wife were blown away from Maui, their boat capsized, and a shark killed his wife.

Authorities were not able to verify or disprove the story. In June of 2001, a death certificate was issued for the woman.[xii]

Landslide at Sacred Falls

One of the worst natural disasters in the Hawaiian Islands occurred at 2:30 p.m. on May 9, 1999 when a landslide killed eight persons and injured 50 more at O‘ahu’s Sacred Falls State Park (Kaliuwa‘a) in the Ko‘olau Mountains, about 30 miles north of Honolulu.

Boulders and dirt rained down upon a group of people swimming in the pool beneath the waterfall. The debris came from as high as 600 feet up the mountain, and the sound of the falling rocks was described as similar to the sound of a freight train.

Those in the path of the landslide were buried instantly. As far as 50 feet away from the pool people were hurt, some sustaining head concussions, lost limbs, and other serious injuries. There were many “walking wounded.”

The waterfall is reached by a narrow, winding trail about three miles long. Rescue workers had to hike to the scene because the canyon was too narrow for a helicopter landing.

Eventually, heat-seeking cameras and military search dogs were used to locate the buried victims, the last of whom was retrieved on May 12, three days after the landslide. Flash floods and hiking accidents have killed others in the park in the past.[xiii]

Hikers Rescued After Eight Days

On August 22, 1999, rescuers found two Danish tourists who had been lost in O‘ahu’s Kahana Valley State Park in the Ko‘olau Mountains for eight days.

Plane Crashes on Mauna Loa

On September 25, 1999, a Piper Chieftan tour plane crashed on Hawai‘i Island’s Mauna Loa volcano, killing all ten people aboard the plane. An investigation placed the blame for the crash on the plane’s pilot, who had continued to fly the craft without instruments despite encountering cloudy conditions.

During the last thirty seconds of the flight, the plane climbed at its maximum rate of ascent, but it wasn’t enough to clear the mountain. The plane crashed at an elevation of 10,100 feet.[xiv]