In Trida, Victoria near Leongatha, on Feb 17, 2013, a helicopter went down, and caused a blackout.
The pilot managed to land and survive the landing, in spite of the contact with power lines. There were no passengers aboard.
Residents reported a loud bang to the police, who responded and found a crop dusting helicopter had clipped power lines and crashed around 5 pm Sunday between Allmans and Mottons roads.
The pilot was uninjured although an air ambulance did respond to the scene of the crash.
A South African Navy chopper had to make an emergency landing at Milnerton Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa, on February 23.
The incident happened after the helicopter’s cockpit caught fire.
According to spokesperson of Department of Defence, Brigadier General Marthie Visser. “A Lynx helicopter of the South African Air Force conducted an emergency landing on the Milnerton Golf Course during a routine maintenance test flight today…No injuries were reported. A preliminary investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the incident.”
Pictured: A LifeNet Eurocopter AS-350B-3 Ecureuil. The one in the crash is
registration # N509AM
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer David J Transier
What: AirMethods American Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil en route from Marana to Southeast Arizona Medical Center
Where: Near Park and 1st Avenue, Tucson, Arizona
When: July 28, 2010, 2 pm
Who: pilot, flight nurse and paramedic
Why: On a medical helicopter service LifeNet Arizona flight, the crew had recently spoken to ATC when the helicopter crashed in a residential neighborhood behind a house. A witness said the pilot directed the helicopter away from the house; and that the engine made “popping noises” before it went silent. It’s rotors stopped, and it fell from the sky. No patients were aboard, but the crew died on the scene.
What: Sudanese Air Force Mil Mi-17 (Mi-8T)
Where: El Fasher, Sudan
When: July 16, 2012
Who: 9 aboard, 7 fatalities
Why: The aircraft reportedly went down near El Fasher according to one source “due to a technical fault” and another “gunned down.” Seven military officers on an administrative mission died at the scene. Two survivors were taken to military hospitals.
Etihad Airways flight EY-484 encountered turbulence on the way to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on January 30th.
The Boeing 787-900 plane was flying from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, when it hit turbulence that injured several people on-board.
The plane continued for a safe landing.
Pictured: Couger-owned Sikorsky S-61N Helicopter
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Phil Earle
On March 12, 2009, about 0926 ADT, Atlantic Daylight Time, a Sikorsky S-92A helicopter, Canadian registry C-GZCH, operated by Cougar Helicopters, impacted the waters of the North Atlantic about 28 miles east of Cape Spear near St. John’s, Newfoundland. There were two pilots, Pilot Matthew William Thomas Davis, 34, of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and First Officer Tim Lanouette, 48, of Comox, British Columbia, both of whomdied in the accident, and 16 passengers on board the helicopter. One passenger, Robert Decker, survived with serious injuries, but the other occupants were fatally injured. The helicopter was en route from St. John’s International Airport (CYYT) to an offshore oil platform in the Hibernia oil field. The pilot made a MAYDAY call due to a mechanical difficulty, and was returning to St. John’s at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and the sea state had 3 – 5 meter swells. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.
The NTSB has recommended that any gearbox losing oil pressure should have the capacity to run dry for 30 minutes before failure. In the case of Flight 491, the elapsed time between the warning light and the ditching of the aircraft in the sea was 11 minutes. Two of the three main gearbox mounting studs were broken. When they broke, the helicopter lost oil rapidly and the gears began to overheat.
On March 23, 2009, Sikorsky released a bulletin that most of the world’s S-92TM helicopter fleet already had complied with the company notice to retrofit the aircraft’s gearbox oil bowl with steel mounting studs.
Pictured: a Bell 47G
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Jonathan Parra
What: single-engine Bell 47G helicopter en route from Brownsville Texas to Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
Where: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
When: May 12, 2007 12:35 central daylight time
Who: Commercial pilot
Why: Single-engine Bell 47G helicopter collided with the terrain under unknown circumstances near Ciudad Victoria, State of Tamaulipas, in the Republic of Mexico. The helicopter was on a ferry flight to its new owner in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The flight originated in Brownsville, Texas, at 11:15, and was destined to an intermediate refueling stop at Ciudad Victoria, Mexico.
