Aérospatiale | George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster

NZ Chopper crash

GJHatcher — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 21:37:18 +0000

On October 28,at 3;20 pm, a Mayday was declared when a Helicopter Line Aerospatiale AS 355 Ecureuil was landing and crashed into another of its own helicopters which had landed during a scenic tours.

There were seven people aboard at the time of the landing. The pilot, his six passengers and five passengers from the helicopter that was struck were all injured.

The pilot was landing near Tyndall Glacier in Mt Aspiring National Park.

Twelve injured were taken to Queenstown airport, including the pilot, who was later transferred to Dunedin Hospital.

The post NZ Chopper crash first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Helicopter Crashes in Nepal

GJHatcher — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 18:34:24 +0000

An Air Dynasty Aérospatiale AS350B Ecureuil en route from Kathmandu to Tenzing-Hillary Airport was landing at Lukla, Nepal when the helicopter touched a fence and crashed on September 26, 2013.

The four aboard the helicopter sustained injury.

Captain Arun Malla, Anita Sherpa, Dagel Sherpa and Sonam Chhiring Sherpa were aboard during the crash. The injured were airlifted and hospitalized at Pasang Lhamu – Nicole Nicky Hospital in Lukla.

The post Helicopter Crashes in Nepal first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Bad Day for Helicopters

GJHatcher — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:39:37 +0000

Didn’t mention this all together yesterday but it was a bad day (or two) for helicopters.

On Mar 19

Bristow Academy Inc Schweitzer 269C-1 training flight; chopper lost power and crash-landed Highway US-1 near Titusville, FL. Two aboard, no injuries

On Mar 21

Bundespolizei Aérospatiale AS 332L1 Super Puma was in a training exercise in snowy conditions at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. The Super Puma struck the EC-155 while landing, and fell. THe EC-155 pilot died on the scene, and three were injured.
Bundespolizei Eurocopter EC 155B-1 (AS 365N4) (see above incident at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium)

American Killed in Bahama Helicopter Crash

GJHatcher — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:02:22 +0000

What: Pioneer Caribbean Logistics Limited Twin Star helicopter en route from Marsh Harbour to Baker’s Bay
Where: Great Guana Cay, North Abaco, Bahamas
When: Nov 22, 2012, 1 p.m.
Who: 4 injured, 1 fatality
Why: The party aboard the helicopter was landing at a luxury resort community, Baker’s Bay Golf & Ocean Club on Great Guana Cay, when gusty winds blew the chopper into a spin and out of control. The helicopter’s rotor blades struck the ground near the Baker’s Bay townhomes, and the tail broke off. The pilot was injured, and hospitalized. One passenger, Lance Valdez, died on impact.

Valdez founded Pioneer Capital and lived in New York before he and his family moved to the Bahamas.

Jeffrey Soffer was also aboard the plane. Soffer was injured along with Dan and Paula Riordan. Soffer owns the Fountainebleau Miami Beach, condos in Las Vegas, the Bahamas and Washington D.C and is an investor in Turnberry Associates. Dan Riordan is also with Turnberry. The injured were taken by boat to Marsh Harbour.

From Marsh Harbour, the crash victims were flown by racing-team owner Roger Penske’s private jet to Miami where Soffer and the Riordans were hospitalized at Miami’s Ryder Trauma Center. One of the injured was taken to Nassau.

Civil Aviation Department investigators traveled to Abaco to begin examining the crash. The wreckage has been moved to a secure location. The Bahamas Ministry of Transportation and Aviation has completed its preliminary report on the Abaco helicopter crash. The report indicates that the airframe, engine and propeller manufacturers and designers have been notified of the accident.

The post American Killed in Bahama Helicopter Crash first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Chopper Crashes in Trichiana Field

GJHatcher — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 17:56:58 +0000

What: Smart Elicotteri Srl Aérospatiale AS 350 BA Ecureuil
Where: Trichiana Italy
When: Nov 20, 2012
Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities
Why: A helicopter distributing anti rabies bait for wild animal vaccination took off and struck an electrical line before it fell into a field.

The victims worked for Smart Helicopters Srl of Italy.

A dog aboard the chopper was also killed.

The post Chopper Crashes in Trichiana Field first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Indian Army Helicopter Crashes in Goa

GJHatcher — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:16:56 +0000

What: Indian army Aerospatiale SA-315B Alouette III en route from Mumbai to Bangalore
Where: Goa
When: October 15, 2012
Who: 3 aboard
Why: During the approach to landing at the air base, one of the rotor blades broke off, initiating a fire.

Three aboard the flight died at the scene. Two of those aboard were officers.

The post Indian Army Helicopter Crashes in Goa first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

UTAir Crashes on 4th, killing 4 in Lensk

GJHatcher — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:54:02 +0000

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Senior

What: UTAir Aviation Aérospatiale AS 350 B3 Ecureuil en route from Lensk to Talakan
Where: Lensk, Russia
When: July 4, 2012 18:11
Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: Four people were aboard the UTAir helicopter when it crashed near Lensk Russia, killing the pilot and copilot and two passengers just moments after the pilots lost contact with ATC.

Initial reports said there were only three aboard. The helicopter normally performed a regular shuttle flight.
https://airflightdisaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/aerorussiautair.jpeg

The post UTAir Crashes on 4th, killing 4 in Lensk first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Sedona Breakfast Flight Ends in Tragedy

GJHatcher — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:16:09 +0000

What: Chopper II LLC Aérospatiale AS 350B Astar en route from from Sedona to Scottsdale.
Where: Sedona AZ
When: June 30, 2012
Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: A Aérospatiale AS 350B Astar, N729DP that was reported overdue on Saturday was found by a private pilot at 8:45 a..m. Sunday crashed into the Verde river south of Camp Verde, Arizona. According to FAA reports, “THE 4 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED.”

The wreckage was consistent with a pilot flying at low speed and low altitude.

The remains were found of the pilot, 70-year-old Raymond Perry of Phoenix, 68-year-old passenger Karen Stinn of Cave Creek and 63-year-old Mike Dunaway and 64-year-old Linda Dunaway of Glendale. They were taken to Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office. Perry is the CEO of the Arriba Mexican Grill restaurant chain.

A helicopter mechanic reported that it looked as if the chopper nose-dived and the blades from the chopper and the transmission tore through the main cabin where the pilot and passengers were sitting. Wind may have factored in. The helicopter was found in the Verde river.

The post Sedona Breakfast Flight Ends in Tragedy first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

3 Survive Chopper Engine Failure by Crashing into a Fluffy Tree

GJHatcher — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:38:22 +0000

What: Cropspray Ltd. Westland (Aérospatiale) SA 341G Gazelle en route from Bath
Where: Churchfields Industrial Estate in Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
When: Jan 10, 2012 09:40 GMT.
Who: 3 aboard
Why: When the chopper developed an engine problem, the pilot didn’t have much time to decide what to do..

Businesssman/pilot Andrew Ridings, said in an interview that he only had an instant to choose whether to fall into the river or a tree; he chose a “fuffy” tree, made a 180 degree turn and landed on it 8 feet from the river, and fell through. A local worker cleared a path for emergency services to make a prompt arrival.

Two of the injured were released from the hospital; one remains hospitalized with a back injury.

The The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) is investigating.

Two aboard were taken by Great Western Ambulance Service to Southampton General Hospital and one was taken by ambulance. All three made it safely out of the helicopter, suffering a variety of injuries.

The post 3 Survive Chopper Engine Failure by Crashing into a Fluffy Tree first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Sundance Chopper Crashes in River Mountains

GJHatcher — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:47:21 +0000

Pictured: Sundance Chopper from company video

What: Sundance Helicopters Aérospatiale AS-350B
Where: Near Lake Mead, Nevada
When: Dec 7 2011, 5 pm
Who: 5 fatalities
Why: Las Vegas police search and rescue team conformed that a luxury sunset tour of the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam crashed into the River Mountains. The pilot Landon Nield of Las Vegas and four passengers were killed in the crash thirty miles from the Vegas strip were in a remote area. Officials airlifted to the crash site confirmed the condition of the victims. Recovery will continue Thursday after sunrise.

Sundance Helicopters of Las Vegas has had at least five accidents and has been the subject of 10 federal enforcement actions since 1994 but Nield had no history of accidents or violations.

Two of the passengers, tourists Delwin and Tamara Chapman of Utica, Kan were renewing their vows and celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

Two of the victims, 28-year-old Lovish Bhanot and 26-year-old Anupama Bhola, were a couple of newlyweds from New Delhi, India.

The crash was reported by an employee of Alfred Merritt Smith water treatment facility who witnessed the event.

A 12-member team is being sent to investigate the crash.

In September of 2003, a Sundance Aerospatiale crashed Near Grand Canyon West Airport, Arizona.

NTSB LAUNCHING TEAM TO INVESTIGATE TOUR HELICOPTER ACCIDENT IN NEVADA

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a 12- member Go-Team to investigate the crash of a helicopter on a sight-seeing tour that occurred near Las Vegas at about 5:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday. Preliminary reports indicate that all five persons on board the helicopter were fatally injured.

Senior Air Safety Investigator Bill English will serve asInvestigator-in-Charge. Member Mark Rosekind is among those traveling to the site and will serve as principal spokesman during the on-scene phase of the investigation.

Peter Knudson is the public affairs officer accompanying the team; he may be reached on his cell phone at 202-557-1350.

2003 crash.pdf

The post Sundance Chopper Crashes in River Mountains first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

NZ Chopper Smashed While Setting up Christmas Tree

GJHatcher — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:42:45 +0000

What: Helisika Agricultural Ltd. Aérospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil
Where: Viaduct Harbour, Auckland, NZ
When: Nov 23, 2011
Who: 1 pilot
Why: After setting a pylon for a christmas tree, the chopper’s roter struck a cable, and crashed the chopper.

Pilot Greg Gribble was hospitalized and released.

Te Wero Bridge has been closed to pedestrians until the investigation is complete.

The post NZ Chopper Smashed While Setting up Christmas Tree first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

José Francisco Blake Mora Dead in Chopper Crash

GJHatcher — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:53:37 +0000

What: Fuerza Aerea Mexicana Aérospatiale AS 332L Super Puma
Where: Temamatla , Edo de Mexico
When: Nov 11, 2011, around noon
Who: 9 aboard, 9 fatalities
Why: A Mexican government helicopter en route from Mexico City to Cuernavaca carrying 9 passengers crashed, killing everyone aboard.

Those aboard included José Francisco Blake Mora, Secretary of the Interior, Felipe Zamora Castro, Legal Affairs and Secretary of the Interior Ministry DH, Jose Alfredo Garcia Medina, director of social communication Interior Ministry, Diana Miriam Hayton Sanchez, technical secretary of the office, and Major Rene de Leon, Lt. Col. Philip Bacio Cortes, Jorge Luis Juarez Gomez, Ramon Escobar Segundo and Pedro Teninete Becerra.

The chopper was en route to a prosecutors meeting. It went down in heavy cloud cover, so weather is considered to be a factor. Mexico’s No. 2 official, Francisco Blake Mora, who embodied Mexican government’s get-tough attitude, is one of the victims of the crash. Mora been a key figure in Mexico’s battle with drug cartels and he oversaw disaster response, like the pipeline explosion in San Martin Texmelucan in 2010. He is the 2nd interior secretary in this administration to die in an air accident.

The post José Francisco Blake Mora Dead in Chopper Crash first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Helicopter Crash in Ukraine Kills 4

GJHatcher — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:07:02 +0000

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Olaf Juergensmeier

What: Aerospatiale SA-341G Gazelle en route from Odessa to Nikolaev.
Where: Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
When: Dec 26, 2010
Who: 40 year old Pilot and 3 passengers
Why: While flying in thick fog, the helicopter crashed, killing the occupants. The passengers were girls between the ages of 18 and 22. The helicopter performed private flights for a luxury chalet in Dnipropetrovsk.

The post Helicopter Crash in Ukraine Kills 4 first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Helicopter Crash in India

GJHatcher — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:04:33 +0000

What: Pawan Hans Aérospatiale AS365 N3 Dauphin
Where: Chandigarh Airport India
When: Dec 16, 2010
Who: 2 pilots, S P S Brar and M S Brar
Why: While en route to pick up a government official Punjab Industries Minister Manorajan Kalia to Mukerian in Hoshiarpur distric, after takeoff from Chandigarh Airport, the helicopter tilted and fell to the ground, and caught afire. The helicopter had been leased to the Indian government for the past 14 years.

The pilots managed to get out of the burning helicopter alive. They have been hospitalized at Western Command Hospital at Panchkula.

An inquiry is underway.

The post Helicopter Crash in India first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Helicopter Crashes in Nepal

GJHatcher — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:31:30 +0000

What: Fishtail Air Aérospatiale AS 350B Ecureuil en route from Lukla Airport to Mount Ama Dablam
Where: near Mount Ama Dablam base camp
When: Nov 7 2010
Who: 2 aboard; 2 fatalities Captain Sabin Basnet and Engineer Purna Awale
Why: After flying from Kathmandu to Lukla at 8 a.m, the helicopter was the rescue team who had flown to Mount Ama Dablam to rescue two stranded Japanese mountaineers. After taking off at Lukla, the helicopter lost contact.

A Fishtail Air helicopter search found the remains.

The post Helicopter Crashes in Nepal first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

French Researchers Lost Lives in Antarctica

GJHatcher — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 08:29:34 +0000

What: Institut Polaire Français Aérospatiale AS 350 Squirrel helicopter carrying supplies between the French research vessel and supply ship, l’Astrolabe and the country’s Dumont d’Urville research base in Adélie Land.
Where: Antarctica
When: October 28, 2010
Who: 4 Fatalities
Why: After taking off from the French research vessel L’Astrolabe which is icebound northeast of the Dumont-d’Urville station, the helicopter went down in bad weather. The helicopter was last seen flying at 29 feet. The helicopter normally supplied the research base. Initially there was hope of one survivor. A U.S. Air Force C-17 flew over; the distress beacon was activated off Adelie Land, but cloud cover prevented visibility; bad weather complicated rescue efforts. An Australian unit which spotted three bodies dropped supplies and survival equipment. A doctor flown in later confirmed that the pilot, the mechanic and two employees of the French Polar Institute who had been aboard the helicopter were dead. The remains were recovered and flown back in an Australian Hercules C-130 to a chapel at the base. (US) McMurdo base and AMSA’s rescue coordination centre are assisting the French recovery team.

Two researchers were from l’Institut polaire Paul-Emile Victor, in Brest, Brittany, France.

The post French Researchers Lost Lives in Antarctica first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Coast Guard Crash Under Investigation

GJHatcher — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:15:05 +0000

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Glenn Beasley

What: United States Coast Guard Aérospatiale MH-65C Dolphin (SA366G-1)
Where: Arcata/Eureka Airport
When: April 29 2010
Who: 3 aboard, no fatalities
Why: During a training exercise, the helicopter crashed at the airport. There were no injuries.

The post Coast Guard Crash Under Investigation first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

Catalina Island Express Crash

GJHatcher — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:16:30 +0000

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Jerry Search

What: Island Express Helicopter Service
Where: Catalina Island
When: May 24 2008
Who: 6 aboard, 3 fatalities
Why: On May 24, 2008, at 0920 Pacific daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS-350-D helicopter, N67GE, operated by Island Express Helicopters, Inc., impacted terrain while landing at Two Harbors, Avalon, located on Santa Catalina Island, California, during a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand, commercial flight. The flight departed from the Queensway Bay Heliport, Long Beach, California, at 0907. The commercial pilot, a company employee, and one passenger were killed, and three passengers were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by impact damage and fire

The post Catalina Island Express Crash first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.