Technical Malfunction Helicopter Crash

July 24, 2006

Technical Malfunction Helicopter Crash

The initial investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash that occurred Monday morning is focusing on the possibility that the crash was caused by a technical malfunction.

The investigation is being conducted by the air force.

Initial reports suggested that the Apache helicopter crashed when it hit an electrical wire.

The possibility that the helicopter crash was caused by a shoulder fired missile has almost been completely ruled out due to the high altitude at which the helicopter was flying at the time of the accident.

Two pilots were killed in the accident.

SOURCE: IsraelNN.com

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July 14, 2006

Turbomeca Helicopter Lawsuit Filed

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The family members of two Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies killed in a helicopter crash are suing the aircraft’s engine manufacturer.

The federal lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Turbomeca of covering up a design and installation flaw in a critical engine part.

The crash last year killed 36-year-old Joseph Kievernagel and 29-year-old Kevin Blount.

Deputy Eric Henrikson was critically injured in the accident.

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July 8, 2006

Six Dead After Firefighting Helicopter Crash

Six people died on Saturday after a firefighting helicopter crashed into the sea off Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of Morocco, the emergency services said.

A helicopter crashed Saturday into the sea off the northeastern coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing all six people on board, the Interior Ministry said.

A fisherman reported the crash Saturday morning, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) off the heavily wooded coast of Anaga, ministry official Jose Segura said. The cause was not immediately clear. The U.S.-built Sikorsky S-61N had been chartered by the Environment Ministry, and the pilot was one of Spain’s most experienced, he said.

Four bodies, two women and two men, have been recovered, Segura said. The bodies of pilot Joaquin Ortiz de Zarate, a descendant of 19th century Spanish novelist Benito Perez Galdos, and co-pilot Antonio Ruiz Lacasa were trapped in the main body of the aircraft at the bottom of the sea, about 700 meters (2,296 feet) below, Development Ministry official Antonio Padron said.

The tail section was recovered and towed to port at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, he said.

SOURCE: EiTB

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July 5, 2006

Forest Firefighter Pilot Killed

Second Forest-Fire Crash in 2 Days Kills Ontario Pilot

A pilot from Ontario has been killed in the second fatal helicopter crash in two days during northern Alberta forest-fire duty.

In the latest crash, a Bell 206B Jet Ranger went down on Tuesday afternoon near Wabasca, northeast of Lesser Slave Lake, killing the 36-year-old pilot, who was alone in the helicopter.

The pilot from Niagara Falls was flying for the Alberta government, helping to suppress wildfires, the RCMP said on Wednesday. His name was not immediately released.

On Monday, a similar helicopter crashed near Grande Prairie, killing a fire-crew member, Darcy Moses, 20, of Valleyview, Alta. The pilot and two other people survived.

The Bell 206, hired by the province for initial attacks on forest fires, lost altitude and crashed moments after takeoff. The crew was checking for lightning strikes from a storm that passed through the area, a provincial official said.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating both helicopter crashes as well as the unrelated crash of a light plane in northern Alberta.

Four people were hurt on Monday when a single-engine Socata 180 on a pleasure flight from the Grimshaw airport crashed in a treed area, the RCMP said.

SOURCE: CBC News

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July 4, 2006

Alberta Helicopter Crash Kills One and Injures Three

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA. — One man is dead and three others are injured after a helicopter crash in northern Alberta.

RCMP say the chopper was lifting off from a forestry tower at Nose Mountain southwest of Grande Prairie on Monday evening when it ran into problems.

It crashed 100 metres away from the takeoff site.

RCMP Corporal Al Fraser says he believes the helicopter was involved in fighting forest fires that have been burning in the region.

Police say the victim who died was a 20-year-old man from Valleyview, Alta. but they haven’t released his name yet.

Three other males were taken to hospital — two were in serious condition.

Transport Canada is investigating the crash and will be at the site on Wednesday.

SOURCE: Canadian Press

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July 1, 2006

Fire Department Helicopter Crash-Lands

They were on their way to rescue a person in distress off North Avenue Beach. But the crew of a Chicago Fire Department helicopter found themselves in trouble Friday when they had to make a hard emergency landing on the lakeshore.

The two pilots and two divers on board suffered minor injuries, but damage to the helicopter, which came to rest upside down near 3900 S. Lake Shore Dr., was extensive, Fire Department officials said.

The reason for the emergency landing is still under investigation.

The noon crash happened as the helicopter was en route to North Avenue Beach, where a man was reportedly having trouble in the water.

The pilot called in an air emergency, saying he was “experiencing some trouble keeping the helicopter airborne,” Fire Commissioner Raymond Orozco said. He managed to guide the chopper down…

SOURCE: Staff Reporter Monifa Thomas Sun-Times

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