Helicopter

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    Helicopter Crash Kills Experienced Pilot in New Zealand

    HelicopterA Hughes 500E helicopter crashed on Koatanui Rd in Brunswick, northwest of Wanganui, New Zealand, at around 9:30 a.m. on October 28.

    The helicopter was being used to spray farmland near the State Highway 3 at Kai Iwi, when it crashed.

    The pilot of the helicopter, identified as Peter William Robb, 56, was killed at the scene. According to the executive officer of the New Zealand Helicopter Association, John Sinclair, he was a “very experienced pilot, well-respected in the industry”.

    The CAA is investigating the cause of crash.

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    Midair Collision in Frederick County; 3 Killed, 2 Injured

    CirrusA 2006 Cirrus SR22 fixed-wing aircraft collided midair with a helicopter in Frederick County, Maryland, at around 3:40 p.m. on October 23.

    The accident happened close to a runway at Frederick Municipal Airport, near the intersection of Monocacy and Patrick streets. The helicopter was on a training exercise at the time, while the plane was en-route from Cleveland, Tennessee, to Frederick, Maryland.

    Three people were killed in the collision. They were identified as Breandan J. MacFawn, 35, of Cumberland, Maryland, Christopher D. Parsons, 29, of Westminster, Maryland and William Jenkins, 47, of Morrison, Colorado. All of them were aboard the R44 helicopter.

    Two people, including 55-year-old Graeves, of Brookeville, Maryland and 75-year-old Gilbert L. Porter of Sandy Spring, Maryland, sustained injuries in the accident. They were shifted to Meritus Medical Center’s trauma center in Hagerstown. Both of them were travelling in the single engine plane.

    The helicopter belongs to a Frederick-based training company Advanced Helicopter Concepts, while the plane is registered to Graeves Auto & Appliance in Olney.

    The cause of collision is under investigation.

  • GE’s Aircraft Unit to Buy Dublin-Based Helicopter Leasing Business

    General Electric’s aircraft leasing unit has announced that it would buy the Dublin-based helicopter leasing business, Milestone Aviation Group, for $1.78 billion.

    The chief executive of GE Capital, Keith S. Sherin, said on October 13, “The addition of Milestone will deepen our domain expertise in aviation and oil and gas, two critical G.E. industries.”

    The acquisition of Milestone is perfectly in line with the capital strategy of the GE, which focuses on industrial businesses like aviation, energy, oil and gas, while taking steps to shed off other assets including those related to consumer finance.

    The helicopter leasing business will be headed by Richard T. Santulli.

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    Turkish Military Helicopter Crashed in Kocaeli; 4 Killed

    helicopterA Turkish military helicopter crashed in a mountainous area of Kartepe district, Kocaeli province, Turkey, on October 12.

    The Konya-bound S-70B Sikorsky aircraft took off from the Cengiz Topel Military Airport, Izmir at 12:18 p.m. and lost connection with the air traffic control at 12:25 p.m.

    Search and rescue teams were then sent in the area, which spotted the wreckage in a forested region.

    There were 4 people aboard the helicopter at the time of crash; all of them were killed. Their bodies were shifted to Gölcük Military Hospital.

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    2 Killed as Gyroplane Crashed into Colorado River

    SeaA two-seater Xenon Gyroplane crashed into a river near Loma in western Colorado, shortly after 6 p.m. on October 4.

    The yellow colored helicopter went down after it took off from the Grand Junction Airport with 2 people aboard.

    Mesa County chief deputy coroner Victor Yahn confirmed that both people aboard the helicopter died in the crash. They were identified as Mark Shook, 61, of Peyton, Colorado, and Rebecca Jane Molle, 50, of Grand Junction, Colorado.

    The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of crash.

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    Medical Helicopter Crashed in Wichita Falls; Patient Killed, Crew Members Seriously Injured

    Crash fireA medical helicopter, on its way to United Regional Health Care, Wichita Falls, Texas, went down just a few blocks away from its destination, shortly before 2 a.m. on October 4.

    The Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter crashed when it was transporting a patient from Waurika, Oklahoma to the North Texas hospital.

    There were 3 crew members, including a pilot, a flight and a paramedic, aboard the aircraft, along with the patient.

    The authorities confirmed that the patient lost his life in the accident, while the crew members sustained serious injuries. The pilot is admitted in United Regional Health Care where his condition is believed to be serious but stable. The paramedic and nurse are being treated at a burn unit in Dallas, however, both of them are in critical condition.

    The incident is being investigated.

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    Bird-Struck Helicopter Makes Emergency landing Along Hudson River

    HelicopterA bird-struck helicopter had to land in emergency at the West 30th Street heliport on the Hudson River, New York City, on the afternoon of October 3.

    According to the FAA, the Bell B407 helicopter was hit by a bird while it was some 6 miles west-southwest of LaGuardia Airport.

    The helicopter belongs to an aerial tour company. According to the General manager Kathleen Wiig, the incident happened when the helicopter was flying at around 1,500 feet and that the protocol requires immediate landing in such situations.

    There were 7 people on-board at the time of incident, none of them required any medical attention.

    The FAA is investigating.

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    Helicopter Crashed near France-Switzerland Border; 5 Killed

    helicopterA helicopter crashed in the garden of a house located in the suburbs of Montbeliard, France, on the morning of October 2.

    The accident happened after the EC130 helicopter departed from an airport in Lausanne, Switzerland, with 7 people aboard. The French police confirmed that the aircraft came down just a few hundred meters from the Montbeliard aerodrome, around 13 kilometers from the France-Switzerland border.

    The police also said, “Of the seven Swiss people on board, five have died, one has been rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and the seventh person, whose condition is not yet known, is being pulled out.” The deceased include 6 men and a woman.

    The cause of crash is not clear at the moment.

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    2 killed as Helicopter Crashed into Sea in East Yorkshire

    SeaA private chartered helicopter crashed into waters near light house at Flamborough, East Yorkshire, England, at about 1:40 p.m. BST on September 16.

    The accident happened after the helicopter took off from an airfield near Edinburgh and was scheduled to land at Humberside Airport for refueling before flying further to its destination near Retford, Nottinghamshire.

    The Humberside Police confirmed that dead bodies of 2 men were recovered following a recovery operation. The names of deceased have not yet been released.

    The police also said that the Air Accident Investigation Branch will conduct investigation to determine the cause of crash.

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    Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing in Everglades Holiday Park

    helicopterA helicopter landed in emergency on a levee in Everglades Holiday Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on the afternoon of September 13.

    The helicopter was carrying the pilot and a passenger at the time of incident. According to the officials, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing after he lost contact with the control tower.

    The spokesperson for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, Mike Jachles, confirmed that none of the 2 persons aboard were injured.

    Further details are not yet available.

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    Hanover Park Football Field Damaged after Helicopter Landed in Emergency

    HelicopterA helicopter made an emergency landing in a football field in suburban Hanover Park, Illinois, near Barrington Road and Route 19, at around 11:00 a.m. on August 23.

    According to a Hanover Park Hurricanes youth football and cheerleading program spokesperson, the emergency landing was made due to engine failure.

    The chopper landed safely and none of the 2 people aboard, including the pilot and a passenger, suffered any injuries.

    The chopper, owned by Bachman Aero, landed minutes before a team of six-year-olds were about to start playing. According to the director of public relations for the Hanover Park Hurricanes Veronica Soto, “As the helicopter was coming down they had no control over it and they were trying to land on a grassy area…It was coming down regardless of anybody being on the field he would have hit…Had it been 20 minutes later our 73-pound team would be on the field so we’re talking 6-year-olds.”

    Soto also said that the incident caused serious damage to the football field.

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    Nagaland Governor’s Helicopter Lands in Emergency Due to Bad Weather

    A Pawan Hans helicopter carrying Nagaland’s Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya made an emergency landing at a helipad in the premises of Bairagi Para Junior Basic School in Kalyanpur in western Tripura, India, in the afternoon of August 19.

    According to the authorities, the helicopter with Governor Acharya and his wife Kavita aboard took off from Dimapur, made a stop at Imphal airport for refueling and was scheduled to land at Agartala airport. However, due to extremely bad weather, the pilot could not land at Agartala and instead landed about 40 km north in Kalyanpur.

    Acharya and his wife had a good time with the students and also tasted the mid-day meal served by the school, according to Banamali Sinha, principal secretary in-charge of the Raj Bhavan secretariat. The police then escorted them to Dak Bunglow.

    The helicopter was able to fly back to Agartala airport around 4:30 p.m., after getting clearance from the Air Traffic Controller.

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    Helicopter Crashed in Logan County; Pilot Seriously Injured

    helicopterAn MD 500 helicopter crashed west of Township Road 188 in Liberty Township of Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio, at about 4:45 p.m. on July 29.

    Leo Boucher, 50, pilot of the crashed helicopter suffered life threatening injuries and is being treated at Grant Medical Center in Columbus. Boucher works for South Carolina-based Rotor Blade.

    The Ohio Highway Patrol post at Marysville rules out use of any alcohol or drugs by the pilot.

    The helicopter was equipped with an aerial saw and was deployed for tree-trimming and brush-clearing for a bike path. Apparently the pilot lost control of the helicopter and crashed into the tree line.

    The crash remains under investigation by the FAA.

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    Medical Helicopter Made Emergency Landing at Lanai, Hawaii

    indiahelicrashA medical helicopter flying from Kona to Honolulu, Hawaii, made an emergency landing at Lanai at about 6:30 p.m. on June 13 due to engine failure.

    The incident happened when the helicopter was carrying 4 people, including a female patient.

    Ian Gregor, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman confirmed that the EC135 helicopter landed safely at Lanai.

    Another plane was arranged to transport the patient to Honolulu.

    FAA records show that the helicopter is registered to Utah-based air medical transport company Guardian Flight.

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    Mesa Police Department Helicopter Crash Lands in Gilbert

    helicopterA Mesa Police Department helicopter had to make a hard landing in a field near Stapley Drive & Baseline Road in Gilbert, Arizona.

    The incident happened at about 1 a.m. on June 8, when the chopper carrying two police pilots lost engine power and crashed.

    According to Mesa Police Department Sgt. Tony Landato, “They had 10 to 15 seconds from engine failure to impact…. The preliminary information I have is that the pilot did a remarkable job avoiding homes by putting the helicopter down in a field… I’ve been told, luckily, there are no serious injuries.”

    During the impact, the tail of helicopter broke off.

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    Ex-Brazilian Footballer Fernandão Dies in Helicopter Crash

    Fernandao

    Ex-Brazilian football hero, Fernando Lucio da Costa, 36, who led Internacional to Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup victories in 2006, died in a helicopter crash in central Brazil on June 7.

    The helicopter had five people on board at the time of crash and none of them survived.

    Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said on Twitter, “I am saddened by the death of Fernandão, a hero to all Internacional fans and all lovers of football….On the field he was world champion, off the field he was an example of a man of character.”

    Fernandao played for the Porto Alegre club 190 times and scored 77 goals.

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    ORNGE Chopper’s Door Blows Open Midair in Haliburton, Canada

    ORNGEA door of an ORNGE helicopter, an air ambulance, blew open midair near Haliburton, Canada, at 8:15 p.m. on May 31.

    The main cargo door flew open just 300 metres over Balsam Lake and cargo of the chopper fell into the lake.

    The incident happened when the chopper was going from Toronto to Haliburton to pick up a patient from a local hospital. All aboard remained safe.

    Transport Canada has been informed of the incident and ORNGE is investigating it. “(ORNGE) will take whatever steps necessary to minimize the chance of this happening again,” ORNGE spokesman James MacDonald said on June 3 while talking to media.

    MacDonald further said the pilots did a visual inspection after landing the chopper, “concluding that there had been no damage.” The chopper resumed its flight to pick up the patient from Haliburton, who was later flown to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

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    3 Killed, 1 Missing after Oil Rig Helicopter Crashed in Ghana

    helicopter crashA service helicopter carrying 8 workers to the Jack Ryag oil rig near the giant Jubilee field, off the coast of Ghana, crashed into deep waters on May 8.

    The accident occurred after the helicopter, belonging to Ghanian subsidiary of the Russian oil company Lukoil, took off from Takoradi’s western port, with 5 Ghanians, 1 French, 1 British and 1 Nigerian on board.

    Three people were killed in the incident. According to Kwame Mamphey, the director general of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), 4 people were rescued after the helicopter crash while another one is missing and presumed dead.

    The survivors were taken to hospitals where one of them is believed to be in serious condition.

    The cause of accident is being investigated.

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    Helicopter Crash Takes Away Four Lives in Namibia

    Helicopter crashA military helicopter carrying ten persons crashed on the runway of an airbase in Nimibia’s Grootfontein this Friday.

    Xinhua, the spokesperson of the Namibian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the accident occurred just after the helicopter took off. Four people were killed while six others were injured. The injured were rushed to Windhoek for medical care.

    The cause of the accident is not known at the moment.

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    Robinson Emergency Landing in Russia

    A UTair Aviation Robinson R44 had two people aboard on November 22nd 2013 when it made a hard landing in Tyumen, Russia.

    This information comes even before a preliminary investigation, but reports are that there was an engine malfunction.

    Task Force Firehouse number 146 responded to the scene where it land at Tarakanova Yarkovsky village in Tyumen, Russia.

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    Rio Helicopter Crash


    On May 8, 2013, a Helisul Táxi Aéreo Ltda-owned Helibras HB-350B Esquilo (Eurocopter Ecureuil) helicopter landing at a Rio de Janeiro heliport landed in the trees instead of on the landing area.

    Aboard were the pilot and five tourists,a couple of miners, and two tourists from the United States. No one was injured though witnesses saw the pilot had hurt his hand. One of the passengers filed an injury complaint.

    A gust of wind apparently blew the pilot off track. The company is calling the incident a forced landing.

    By the time the fire department and Experts of the Institute of Criminology Carlos Eboli (ICCE) arrived, the passengers had already left. The Regional Investigation and Prevention of Accidents (Seripa) is also investigating.

    Antonio Souza Moreira, father of one of the passengers, Álvaro Felipe, said his son had been injured on the shin. The helicopter ride had been a birthday present. Antonio confirmed that the pilot lost control at a gust of wind. There was smoke but no fire; and there was a fire extinguisher available. But the firefighters took an hour to arrive.

  • Helicopter Lands Safely in St. Pete

    What: six-seat American Eurocopter AS350 used by News Channel 8, St. Petersburg
    Where: Tierra Verde
    When: September 11, 2008
    Who: Pilot/reporter Judd Chapin and photographer Cliff McBride
    Why: After a warning light come on indicating hydraulic problems, the helicopter landed safely at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg for repairs.

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    Helicopter crashes in Canada


    What: helicopter en route to a remote fishing camp near the Quebec-Labrador border
    Where: wilderness in northeastern Quebec
    When: Friday
    Who: Two pilots–a man and woman–flown to hospital in nearby Schefferville, Que and are reported to be in good condition.
    Why: No cause is given. The search began Tuesday after someone at the fishing camp called to say the helicopter hadn’t shown up. The crash was located by a Cormorant from Greenwood, N.S. at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday