What: Bell 206L helicopter Where: Antigua, Guatemala When: April 15, 2012 Who: Four injured Why: A helicopter flying over Antigua for aerial photography crashed into two houses at 9:30 in the morning.
No residents were at home at the time of the crash. Three Guatemalans and one American were injured in the crash. The American broke his tibia and fibula. The injured were taken to National Hospital. The American was identified only as Michael; the others were Juan Carlos Menendez, 40, Andres Turcios, 32, and Octavio Gordillo, 52.
The helicopter was broken in two by the impact. The translation of an unverified newspaper report said that the pilot had been flying low when a bird hit the rotors.
What: Kananaskis Heli Tours Bell 206B JetRanger II sightseeing tour from Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino to Bow Valley Where: Canmore, Alberta When: March 30, 2012 10:30 a.m. Who: 1 fatality, 4 survivors Why: A sightseeing helicopter crashed near Grotto Mountain near Banff National Park, Canmore, killing pilot Matthew Goodine of Prince George, British Columbia. The crash occurred at 10:30 a.m. Canadian Forces Base Trenton heard the emergency beacon at 12:30 and notified the mounties. EMS did not arrive until 2:45 and the pilot died while waiting to be airlifted to a hospital in Calgary. Rescue efforts on the remote back country mountain slope were hampered by high winds and snow, along with the rugged terrain. Rescue personnel rappelled from the chopper, and the two couples from Britain were airlifted in slings to be flown to hospitals.
It began to snow around 10:30 a.m., and that may have been a factor. Weather will delay the investigation as much as a week due to snowy forecasts. There is no black box.
What: Nigerian Police Special Task Force Bell 412EP en route to to Abuja Where: Jenta Mangoro, Nigeria When: March 14, 2012, 11:00 a.m. Who: 7 fatalities aboard, 5 ground fatalities Why: While on a mission to monitor a crisis situation, the chopper crashed. The crash also killed 5 on the ground in the vicinity of a satellite market and a Government Secondary School along Rukuba Road. Reports say that the wreckage landed inside a residence. A nine year old girl in the house was injured. The owner of the house, Mali Waziri, was at work at the time of the accident.
Witnesses say that the chopper made strange noises before it lost height and crashed.
The mission was described as “surveillance duty in hot spot.”
Haruna John, recently Deputy Inspector General of Police, died in the crash, as well as his orderly and other members of the peace team. ACP Garba Yelwa -Pilot; CSP Alexander Pwol-Ja, Co-Pilot and Sergeant Sonatian Shirunam-Orderly were also fatalities.
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What: USMC HMLA-469 Bell UH-1Y Venom Where: Yuma, AZ When: Feb 22, 2012, 8 pm Who: 5 aboard, 5 fatalities Why: The helicopter was engaged in night flight exercises on February 22nd near Yuma, AZ when it collided with a smaller two person chopper. Service members with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing were involved.
The crash happened west of the Chocolate Mountains in California.
The names of the five fatalities have not been released.
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What: USMC HMLA-469 Bell AH-1W Super Cobra Where: Yuma, AZ When: Feb 22, 2012, 8 pm Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities Why: The helicopter was engaged in night flight exercises on February 22nd near Yuma, AZ when it collided with another flight. Service members with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing were involved.
The crash happened west of the Chocolate Mountains in California.
The names of the two fatalities have not been released.
What: US Army Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Where: SW training area of Joint Base Lewis-McChord When: Dec 12, 2011 Who: 2 occupants, 2 fatalities
What: US Army Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Where: SW training area of Joint Base Lewis-McChord When: Dec 12, 2011 8 pm Who: 2 occupants, 2 fatalities Why: Two two-seat reconnaissance “Scout”choppers crashed during routine exercises at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a few miles from Ranier Washington. Four individuals died in the event. Two were injured. It has not been released if the two injured were aboard, or if the choppers collided.
The remains were taken to Madigan Army Medical Center.
The debris field covered 300 meters. Military vehicles were securing the scene.
The Fort Rucker, Alabama Combat Readiness Center is coordinating the investigation, beginning with a six member team.
What: Paul P. Dudley Bell 206B JetRanger Where: East River, New York, NY When: Oct 4, 2011 Who: 5 aboard, 1 fatality Why: The Bell 206B JetRanger was en route with five people aboard when it took off to about 25 feet above ground, and spun, then crashed for an unknown reason upside down into the East River. The flight had just taken off from the riverbank launch pad. Two people were injured, one was missing. Four individuals were rescued from the water, including the pilot. While the helicopter was submerged, rescuers searched for the fifth passenger, Sonia Marra Nicholson, but did not find her until it was too late. The chopper had sunk 50 feet into the water. Nicholson had been visiting New York on the occasion of her 40th birthday.
THe passengers who were rescued were Nicholson’s partner Helen Tamaski, her mother Harriet Nicholson and her stepfather Paul Nicholson, all of whom are in stable condition at Bellevue and New York University Hospitals. Paul and Harriet Nicholson live in Portugal but are British citizens. Sonia Marra Nicholson and Helen Tamaski lived in Australia.
The pilot Paul Dudley also survived. The passengers were close personal friends. He manages the Linden, N.J., airport.
Rescuers included police officers who where on hand, running a drill on the East River, and who, still in uniform, jumped in to assist passengers.
NTSB briefing today at 5:00 PM (EDT) on investigation of helicopter accident in New York City
—
WASHINGTON – NTSB Board Member Mark Rosekind will brief the news media on the NTSB investigation into yesterday’s East River helicopter accident.
The briefing will be held at 5:00 PM EDT today at the
accident site.
NTSB Press Contact: Terry Williams (on-scene in New York)
202-557-1350
williat@ntsb.gov
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What: PT Nyaman Air Bell 412 Chopper chartered by PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals en route from Manado Sulawesi Island in Indonesia to the Gosowong Mine Where: Manado, Bitung, North Sulawesi When: August 2, 2011, 2:30 Who: 10 aboard, (8 employees and 2 flight crew) Why: The helicopter PK-FUG flown by pilot Edi Purnomo crashed into Mount Dua Saudara while en route. Nine aboard died in the crash, including two Australians, two South Africans and four Indonesians were passengers on the flight. The crew were Indonesian.
The flight was missing initially. Foggy weather hampered the search until it was finally found at 2 a m August 3, with one survivor, who died en route to the hospital. Work has been suspended at Newcrest’s Gosowong gold mine in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The chopper took off at 4:26 a.m. and lost contact with ATC shortly after takeoff.
The chipper was a joint venture between Australia’s Newcrest Mining and Indonesian company Aneka Tambang.
Contact information for the families:
Callers from Australia – 1800 267 616 Callers from PNG – 0008 661 164 Callers from Indonesia
o Landline – +62 21 7884 6956 ext 4005
o Mobile – +62 816 237002 Callers from other countries
o Landline – +61 3 9522 5562 o Mobile – +61 419 654 092
What: DAVCRON PTY LTD Bell 206 Where: South Turramurra, Sydney Australia When: July 22, 2011 Who: 2 fatalities Why: While on a routine flight from Rosehill to the owner’s hanger in Wyee, the bell chopper crashed north of Sydney while flying in a heavy downpour. The wreckage was spread in a hundred meter area at the foot of a cliff in Lane Cove National Park. The pilot and passenger were confirmed dead. Emergency services could only reach by rappelling down. Recovery has been postponed till the weekend because of continued bad weather.
Witnesses say they may have seen something fly off the back of the helicopter and one witness said the helicopter was upside down when it fell. Descriptions of the troubled helicopter included “clattering” and “explosion.”
Initially the victims of the crash were not known, but their names have been released. The bodies of pilot Colin Greenwood, 35 and 85 year old Businessman Bruce Campbell were found in the wreckage.
Officials say the pilot had filed a flight plan although it was not required.
Campbell founded Davcron Engineering Pty Ltd and owned the chopper which regularly on Fridays flew him to his semi-rural home. Campbell has three sons and is a grandfather of five.
What: Royal Thai Army Aviation Bell UH-1H Huey Where: between Phetchaburi and Ratchaburi, Thailand When: July 16 2011 Who: 5 fatalities Why: A chopper on a mission (air ambulance flight) to rescue civilians trapped in Kaeng Krachan National Park crashed, killing 5 army officers aboard. Visibility was poor, with heavy rain and thick fog.
The chopper had taken off from Thap Phraya Sua Camp in Ratchaburi’s Suan Phung district.
The soldiers lost in that crash were Maj. Kitisak Chin-iam (First pilot), Lt. Pratya Nualsri (Second Pilot), Maj. Kitiphum Ekkaphan (Deputy Commander of the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 9th Infantry Regiment), Sgt. Maj. Rangsan Polsaibua and Sgt. Maj. Narongdet Pongnumkul (both Flight Mechanics).
The crash occurred between Phetchaburi and Ratchaburi in the jungle. Retrieval has been hampered by continued bad weather, but four helicopters have participated in recovery, as well as forest rangers and border patrol.
Condition and status of the stranded civilians has not been released but they appear not to have been aboard the chopper at the time of the crash.
What: SAR Aviation Bell 407 helicopter en route from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, to Sahastradhara India Where: Ladpur Jungle near Raipur, India When: June 19, 2011 Who: 2 aboard, 0 fatalities Why: One of the choppers hired for porting Bharatiya Janata Party chief Nitin Gadkari and his family to Sahastradhara crashed, injuring a pilot and an engineer.
The weather was clear at the time of the crash, and a technical problem is presumed. Two of the three choppers in the party landed safely. The BJP chief and family were not aboard the Bell helicopter at the time of the crash.
The chopper broke in to pieces on impact and just missed Vigyan Vihar, a residential area. There were no casualties on the ground.
What: Aviheco Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III en route from Bucaramanga to Sardinata Where: El Alto, Lourdes, Norte de Santander Colombia When: May 23, 2011 4 pm Who: 2 aboard, both fatalities Why: Pilot Rodrigo Javier Acosta and tech Jorge Velez Valbuena died in the Aviheco helicopter crash in Colombia. The helicopter may have been struck by lightning or taken down by other storm related condition. The wreckage went down in an area known as “Los Cables” on the “La Aguadita” farm in the village of El Alto. The helicopter was on a reconnaissance flight sponsored by an oil company with local wells . The bodies have been recovered by the Civil Defense commission.
What: Campbell Helicopters Ltd. Bell 212 Twin Two-Twelve Where: Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada When: May 20, 2011 Who: 1 fatality Why: The chopper responding to a (wildfire) fire call crashed for unknown reasons 30 meters offshore Slave Lake, Alberta. The forest fire leveled a third of the Slave Lake community. The pilot’s name has not yet been released.
The STARS Air Ambulance call was cancelled. The pilot died in the crash. Emergency responders were treated for hypothermia.
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What: Bell 206 helicopter crash en route from Bintangor, Sarikei to Dataran Sibu Where: Dataran Sibu When: April 11, 2011 Who: Captain Sahimi Razali Why: The helicopter Captain Razali was piloting crashed after three delegates disembarked. The helicopter was ten feet off the ground when he lost control of it and was pinned in the wreckage. He sustained undesignated injuries and died at Sibu hospital. His helicopter was a third of the units carrying a delegation to Dataran Sibu.
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What: Mexico’s Atty General’s Office Bell 412 helicopter#HFJ XC Where: Veracruz, Mexico When: December 8, 2010, 16:30 Who: 4 fatalities, 11 aboard Why: While en route to Villa Aldama prison, the helicopter, carrying Pilot, copilot, six federal police, a prosecutor and two detainees crashed in bad weather, strong winds, low visibility. There were three fatalities on the scene, three injured. Later it was confirmed 4 guards were killed, the two pilots are in serious condition.
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What: Heliservicios Campeche Bell 212 helicopter en route from Cd del Carmen en route to Minatitlan in Veracruz Where: Las Choapas, Minatitlan Mexico When: Oct 15 2010 Who: 8 aboard Why: Witnesses say the helicopter caught fire while still in the air.
The Heliservicios Campeche helicopter was transporting Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) employees at the time of the crash. Two pilots and six Pemex technicians were killed. Their bodies have been recovered.
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What: BELL 206B crop-dusting helicopter Where: Newton Texas When: October 13, 2010 Who: pilots name not released Why: After reloading the chemical tanks and refueling, the (registration 499BH ) N499BH BELL 206 ROTORCRAFT, lifted off while the fuel hose was still attached. The two seat helicopter went up, then, of course, crashed. It fell over on its side. One person on the ground was injured.
George’s Point of View
This is no joke, as someone on the ground was severely injured.
However, it still reminds me of high school, when my date at the drive-in left the speaker hooked in the window, and when we left, I also left the window. The speaker took it out, hooked on the frame and kept the car from moving. We didn’t crash, or fall over, or even dent my window frame. Of course, we were in a Pinto.
(I won’t go into how, when it was repaired, I tried to roll it up and it still wasn’t there, how the glass company goofed and replaced my perfectly good windshield, how I ended up with both a new door window AND a new windshield and an apology.)
It’s a good thing the helicopter pilot’s name wasn’t released. Even if someone else was doing the refueling.
How embarrassing.
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What: Armada Nacional Bolivariana Bell 212 Where: Playa Valdez port off Margarita Island Venezuela When: Sept 14 2010 Who: 7 aboard, 2 fatalities, 5 injuries Why: The Venezuelan military helicopter was engaged in rescuing 21 people aboard 2(?) small boats found adrift at sea. The helicopter had ferried doctors to a frigate, and after taking off from the frigate, collided with a navy research vessel,Armada Oceanógrafo BO-11, and fell into the ocean.
The co-pilot co-pilot, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Alfredo Marquez and a crew member were killed. The pilot, Lieutenant Erick Martínez Sandoval, Lieutenant Edil Martinez and 3 other crew members were injured. The crash is under investigation.
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What: Japanese Coast Guard Bell 412EP “Akizuru” Where: off Kagawa, Shikoku Japan When: August 8 2010 Who: 5 occupants 4 fatalities Why: Akizuru hit offshore power lines and crashed into the sea. The five member crew was missing; but the remains of 4 were found by searchers. One is still missing.
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What: Petroleum Helicopter Inc. Bell 206 Where: 43 miles into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Port O’Connor When: June 10, 2010 Who: Pilot and two passengers. One passenger was injured. Why: While en route, the helicopter crashed into the gulf of Mexico. The coast guard was notified at 10:40 a.m, but an offshore private vessel, named OSV Callie Jean picked up those who had been aboard the helicopter fifteen minutes after the crash, before the coastguard arrived. The passengers were taken to an oil rig platform, from which they were airlifted to the mainland.
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What: CRIT Helicópteros Bell 206 Where: Atizapan , Mexico When: June 6 2010 Who: 3 injured Why: On 11 Maple drive in the Hidden Valley golf club (el club de golf Valle Escondido), the Bell Helicopter crashed for unknown reasons. Pilot Gerardo Alberto Lujano González, and crew Eduardo Rodriguez Vértiz and Gabriel Brito Macías were taken to the Angels of Huixquilucan hospital with undisclosed injuries. The helicopter has been written off as damaged beyond repair but there were no fatalities.
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What: Fuerza Aérea de Colombia MD Helicopters/Hughes 500/530 Where: Chaparral, Tolima Colombia When: April 20, 2010 1:45 pm Who: 7 deaths reported Why: While performing maneuvers, a Bell 222UT helicopter and a Colombian Air Force MDH/Hughes 500/530 crashed on a military garrison near the town of Chaparral, Tolima.
Army:
– General Brigadier Fernando Joya Duarte, commander of the Task Force of the South of the Tolima.
– Colonel Brown Arturo Herrera Castaño, commander of Movable Brigade 20.
– Lieutenant Colonel Juan Gonzalo Lopera Echeverry, operations officer of the Task Force of the South of Tolima.
Vertical Aviation:
– Commander (r.) Rodolfo Garzón Venegas, pilot of Vertical Aviation Bell 222
– Lieutenant of Frigate (r.) Camilo Andrés Cujar, copilot.
The Army Captain Ejército Alejandro Suescún, professional soldier Jairo Suárez, the Air Force lieutenant Alcides Otálora Polo (pilot) and the technician José Hefner Lerma Prieto suffered burns and fractures but survived..
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What: Spanish Navy Agusta-Bell 212ASW Where: Fond Verrettes area, about 50km from Port-Au-Prince Haiti When: April 16, 2010 10:30 Who: 4 on board. No survivors. Why: One of a detachment of four Spanish Navy Agusta-Bell 212ASW helicopters assigned to the Spanish navy amphibious ship Castilla crashed in a sparsely populated remote
rugged location called Mount Toro. The helicopter, which is part of an independent detachment is said not to be part of the 400+ Spanish soldiers engaged in Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction efforts, reportedly struck trees and slammed into the ground before catching fire. The rugged terrain is reportedly hampering recovery.
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What: Bell 212 helicopter Where: Vallecitos de Zaragoza Mexico When: Dec 23 Who: one officer and nine soldiers onboard Why: In the course of a drug sting, due to an undisclosed mechanical issue, the Bell helicopter crashed, injuring two and killing one. The specially manufactured Bell choppers is part of the ‘Merida Initiative’ engaged in fighting drug crimes.
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What: United Heli Charters BELL 212 en route from Chennai to Pondicherry Where: Sulerikattukuppam, at Soolerikadu near Mahabalipuram on East Coast Road When: 9.30am. 22 December 2009 Who: 2 pilots and an engineer Why: After developing a fuel transmission system problem ( pilot noticed a leak in the transmission) while over the sea, the helicopter descended to a lower altitude. However, the low altitude made communication with ATC difficult, and communication from ATC was triangulated through available aircraft who were able to make contact.
The helicopter made an emergency landing described as “force-landing” and “successful” in the sands near the beach–which hopefully means no injuries.
Sulerikattukuppam is a fishing hamlet off the East Coast Road
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