Families of couple killed in Kauai helicopter tour crash file wrongful death lawsuit

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Families of couple killed in Kauai helicopter tour crash file wrongful death lawsuit

Hawaii News Now - August 6, 2026

By HNN Staff

The families of Patrick J. Haskell and Margaret Rimmler—the married couple killed in the Kauai helicopter tour crash on March 26, 2026 — have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter tour operator and related companies.

“The Haskell and Rimmler families are devastated by this shocking and preventable disaster,” said Andrew Robb, Partner at Robb & Robb LLC. “The families’ lawsuit seeks accountability, answers, and meaningful changes to protect future passengers.”

The lawsuit names Airborne Aviation, which operates doors-off sightseeing tours over Kauai, and AALeasing, the registered owner of the helicopter.

According to the lawsuit, Haskell and Rimmler survived the helicopter’s initial impact with the water but drowned after they were unable to escape from the aircraft. The complaint alleges that the Defendants failed to provide the passengers with a reasonably safe means of exiting the doors-off aircraft following a foreseeable water landing.

“Time and time again, we have seen that these doors-off helicopter flights create an impossible safety paradox: preventing passengers from falling out of the helicopter, versus ensuring passengers can escape during a foreseeable emergency,” Robb said. “The families intend that their lawsuit send a clear message to all doors-off tour operators: passenger safety cannot be compromised,” Robb added.

Following the 2018 doors-off helicopter tour crash in New York City, Robb & Robb LLC secured a record $116 million jury verdict on behalf of one of the victims. Robb & Robb also represented the victims of the fatal 2024 Kauai helicopter crash.

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