Released by the Pentagon Channel: air traffic control recordings of fatal Hawaii Coast Guard helicopter crash.
The rear rotor assembly was cutoff at mid-shaft. The news organization calls this incident a “hard landing”
What: Rotorway Executive 162F experimental helicopter
Where: north end of the airfield at Summit Aviation
When: November 9, 2008
Who: Amanda Randall, 51, of Fenwick Island
Why: While flying a few feet off the ground, the helicopter flipped on its side. Randall sustained a non-fatal head injury.
What: ex-military Gazelle helicopter en route from Stratford-upon-Avon to Yeovilton in Somerset
Where: in open grassland about 800-900 feet high – one of the highest spots in Gloucestershire, crashed in a field at a farm in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham.
When: Noon Nov 1
Who: Two men and a woman
Why: poor visibility is conjectured to be part of the cause of the crash. It had been flying in heavy mist. No survivors, no cause known yet. The helicopter was described as a wreck of mangled metal. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating.
What: Helicopter en route from Guatemala’s northern El Peten Province
Where: rainforest in the rural province of Verapaz, some 185 miles (300 kms) northeast of the capital
Guatemala City in northern Guatemala
When: Thursday
Who: Spanish businessman Virgilio Casado was piloting the helicopter along with fellow Spaniards Jose Luis Briz Mateo and Juan Calvo Torre. Carlos Sigfrido Hurtarte Rivas, a Guatemalan citizen, also died in the crash.
Why: Cause is under investigation but likely heavy winds and rain
After a search delayed by bad weather, the bodies arrived in Guatemala City on Friday. A local aeronautics official believes the helicopter ran into a cloud and lost orientation and control (by a pilot unaccustomed to flying by instruments.)
What: North Carolina based helicopter working to cut tree limbs and brush from a utility right of way
Where: Carroll Township, Washington County
When: Thursday, Oct 30
Who: Pilot.
Why: The pilot reports losing power precipitating forced landing. The unidentified pilot was conscious and alert when taken to the hospital by a medical evacuation helicopter
There are at least a dozen news articles today discussing the issue of helicopter safety, many of them responding to the AP article that references the 9 medical crashes in the eleven months.
Part of the problem is a shortage of night vision (infrared “synthetic visionâ€) that displays terrain of the type the military uses.
The article also lists recommendations of the NTSB, which may or may not be adopted by the FAA. The recommendations are as follows:
One hopes that through this 20-20 hindsight the FAA will have better vision.
There are issues going on with the FAA. “A federal logjam has held up the report on the Oct. 15 crash.” There have been a lot of crashes lately and the paperwork must be piling up.
And then there is this: “Shelley Garrett, guardian over Dave Garrett’s only son and heir, filed a product-liability and negligence lawsuit late last week against Bell Helicopter in Harris County District Court” over the channel 13 helicopter crash. While not a medical evacuation crash, it is still helicopter crash news. Are the NTSB and FAA qualified to supervise helicopter safety issues?
What: Search and Rescue Italian Sikorsky HH3F Pelican Helicopter en route from Dijon to Florent-en-Argonne
Where: field in eastern France near the town of near the town of Vaubecourt in the Meuse department and L’Isle-en-Barrois
When: Thursday 1430 local time
Who: Eight Italian military personnel on board all died
Why: The helicopter crashed in flames, 4.30 pm local time (1430GMT) in open countryside not far from Strasbourg . The weather was clear. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation
What: Marine Corps CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter belonging to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.
Where: farmer’s field near Tarboro N.C.
When: just after 6 p.m. Tuesday
Who: No one was injured
Why: Emergency landing because of a small electrical fire that started on board. The helicopter is to be repaired on-site and returned to MCAS New River
What: Robertson R-22 en route from Norwich in Chenango County to Zanesville, Ohio.
Where: found in wooded area of the Town of Dryden, east of Ithaca.
When: Found 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Who: Pilot Earl L. Small Jr., 57, of Powder Springs, Ga.
Why: The pilot has been missing since Thursday
What: KTRK’s SkyEyeHD helicopter crash on October 13, 2008
Where: wooded area in Montgomery County
Who: John Downhower and David Garrett, Pilot and photographer employed by contractor Metro Traffic killed in helicopter Crash
“The Westwood One family wishes to express its deepest sympathies to the families of the two occupants of the news helicopter that crashed outside of Houston today. The photographer on board, David Garrett, was a Metro Networks employee; the pilot, John Downhower, worked for a vendor from whom Metro Networks leases helicopters. At the time of the incident, the helicopter team was covering news for KTRK Channel 13. Sadly, there were no survivors in the crash. We are awaiting further reports and information from the investigating authorities on this tragic incident.” Westwood One
The families of both Garrett and Downhower are asking that that memorials are sent to funds set up for the men’s children in lieu of flowers.
For the Garrett family, contributions can be made to:
Adam Ryan Garrett Educational Fund
PO Box 1811
Sugarland, Tx 77478-1811
For the Downhower family, you can make contributions at any Wells Fargo bank by asking specifically for the Mitchell Downhower College Fund.
What: R-22 training helicopter
Where: Victoria International Airport off of the tarmac.
When: just before noon Friday Oct 17
Who: The instructor was seriously injured; the student was trapped in the wreckage for some time with minor injuries
Why: Witnesses said the helicopter “…was doing an exercise about 100 metres above a grassy training area west of the airport when it fell to the ground, bounced twice and landed upside down.”
What: Air Angels Inc.emergency medical transport Bell 222 helicopter en route from Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago from Valley West Hospital in Sandwich. The helicopter was based out of Clow airport in Bolingbrook.
Where: Crashed in a corn field near a residential area in east Aurora near Eola Road and Liberty Street, and was engulfed in flames.
When: Oct 15 Went down about midnight
Who: victims included three crew members and the little girl.
Why: The little girl was being transported to the hospital because of epileptic seizures. Witnesses report that after the helicopter crashed, it exploded. There is speculation that the helicopter struck a 750-foot tall radio transmission tower which is now about 15-feet off center. One witness reported a midair explosion, and then another explosion after the helicopter hit the ground. Two of the tower’s guy wires were impacted during the crash.
What: Emergency landing by a CBS 3 backup chopper leased from U.S. Helicopters en route to cover a news event
Where: Landed on an athletic field adjacent to Mayfair Elementary School in Philadelphia’s Northeast section
When: On Columbus Day
Why: The pilot landed after the chopper began losing a large amount of oil. A similar problem occurred recently with another leased helicopter several weeks ago in which a warning light came on for a different problem
What: Bell 206L-4 SkyEye 13 news chopper
Where: on property owned by The Woodlands Development Company,heavily wooded area East of the W.E. Jones State Forest in southwest Montgomery County.
When: Monday morning between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m
Who: Pilot John Downhower, 43, and photographer Dave Garrett, 36. Downhower worked for Helicopters Inc., which operated the Bell 206L-4, and Garrett worked for Metro News on assignment for Houston TV station KTRK
Why: Pilot and phtographer were en route to cover an officer-involved shooting when the accident occurred. On impact, the helicopter broke into pieces and burst into flames, Both men were pronounced the men dead at the scene, and both suffered massive trauma. One body was charred. The bodies were taken to the Southeast Texas Forensic Center in Conroe
Memorial service for Downhower: 11 a.m. Friday at Fellowship of The Woodlands, One Fellowship Drive.
Garrett’s funeral: 11 a.m. Saturday at River Pointe Community Church, 5000 Ransom Road, in Richmond.
A fund has been established for Garrett’s son:
Adam Ryan Garrett Educational Fund
P.O. Box 1811
Sugar Land, Texas 77478-1811.
What: Northfield Aviation single-engine Sky Arrow 600 taking off from Santa Monica Airport
Where: in the ocean off Malibu Beach
When: Oct 7 5:15 p.m
Who: Two men were on board: One was Griff Horner, 70, an experienced pilot and helicopter instructor. Critical injuries.
Why:The incident is under investigation.
