NTSB to probe Hawaii chopper crash that injured 6

A tour helicopter crashed on a remote Big Island lava field, injuring all six people on board, an official said Thursday.

The Bell 407 helicopter left Kona International Airport about 5 p.m. Wednesday on a sightseeing tour and crashed about 30 minutes later near the southernmost tip of the island, National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Jennifer said.

Firefighters extricated three people an 18-year-old woman, a 19-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man and 48-year-old man .The most seriously injured person was a 19-year-old woman who was flown to a hospital.

A seriously injured 54-year-old man, along with the four others, was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said he was awaiting updates on their conditions, and other information, including what might have caused the crash.

Paradise Helicopters owner Calvin Dorn said in a statement there were five passengers and one pilot on the tour. The company is cooperating with authorities, the statement said.