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.

Helicopter Crashes in Dubai Killing 7

What: Aerogulf Bell 212 helicopter flying from Dubai International Airport to one of the oil fields in the Gulf Sea. The helicopter was leased to the oil company by the aircraft firm Aerogulf,
Where: Crashed into an oil platform off the Duba Coast 50 NM west of Dubai Airport
When: Sept 3--20:23 local time
Who: two pilots and five contractors working for British oil and gas services company Petrofac: an American, a Briton, two Indians, a Pakistani, one Filipino and a Venezuelan.
Why: The British pilot lost control during take off, hit a crane crashed and exploded wednesday on a recently installed Resilient jack-up oil rig. After the helicopter propellers hit the crane, the aircraft split in two; half smashed on to the rig, while the other half fell into the sea.

The rig is owned by AP Moller-Maersk but operated by Petrofac on behalf of state-owned Dubai Petroleum. Production in one of Dubai's four oil fields has been suspended. The engine and the gear box have been found.

So far five of the bodies have been identified; one report says only two of the bodies need identification by DNA testing. All of the victims were contracted personnel.

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

Air Evac Lifeteam Medical Helicopter Crashes, Crew Killed

What: Air Evac Lifeteam Medical helicopter traveling back to Rushville from the Burney Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Antique Tractor Pull and Hog Roast on a public relations mission.
Where: Near Burney in rural Decatur County, about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis,
When: shortly after takeoff Sunday 1:17 p.m.
Who: The 3 crew members aboard were all killed. (No patients were involved,) The crew included pilot Roger Warren, flight nurse Sandra Pearson and flight paramedic and base manager Wade Weston
Why:Cause is unknown. Pieces of the back end of the helicopter appeared to come off before it crashed. Witnesses say that the helicopter's nose tipped down, the helicopter went down and exploded on impact and instantly burst into flames.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit

What: Wrongful death filed re: mid-air collision between two Phoenix television news helicopters that killed four men last year.
Where: KNXV helicopter collided with a KTVK chopper in mid-air over Steele Indian School Park
When: July 27, 2007
Who: filed this week by lawyers representing the 15-year-old son of KNXV photographer Rick Krolak.
Why: The premise of the suit is that 55-year-old Krolak died because pilot Craig Smith, while flying KNXV's helicopter, was "careless, reckless, and grossly negligent. Smith, also died in the crash, but is a defendant, along with his employer U.S. Helicopter Inc. The suit alleges Smith was performing dangerous, complex maneuvers; failed to, or was unable to, control the KNXV helicopter; and flew too close to the KTVK helicopter and also alleges that U.S. Helicopter allowed Smith to operate the aircraft in a grossly negligent manner and the company knew, or should have known, that Smith was a reckless, dangerous pilot.

Lawsuit over defective Helicopter Part

What: Inter-Island Helicopters McDonnell Douglas 369FF helicopter
Where: Kaua'i Hawaii
When: March 11, 2007
Who: Michael Gershon, 60, of Walnut Creek, Calif., and three other passengers.
Why: Safety board concludes manufacturing failure led to Ha'ena fatality-Caused by a manufacturing defect in a tail rotor fitting.

Update
Two of the passengers, Douglas Barton and wife Judy Barton, of Newport, N.H., in June announced a $9.5 million settlement in their lawsuit against Boeing Co., which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997; Aluminum Precision Products Inc., manufacturer of the defective fitting; and Smoky Mountain Helicopters, the company that operates Inter-Island Helicopters.

An NTSB probable cause report released yesterday said the defect resulted in separation of the tail rotor system and loss of tail rotor control. A contributing factor in the crash was the helicopter's impact with trees as it spiraled down for a crash-landing at the YMCA's Camp Naue. Closer examination of the parts revealed that the tail rotor blade assembly was fractured through the root fitting in the general area that coincided with a hole for the rotor blade retention bolt.

In response to the finding, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency airworthiness directive on April 27, 2007, mandating inspection of the root fittings on certain MD 369 helicopters

Cropdusting Chopper Crashes

What: Helicopter owned by Wild Horse Helicopters of Oregon, contracted to spray fields through Crop Production Services
Where: chopper went down in a corn field off County Road 700 East in xnortheastern Tippecanoe County.
When: noon
Who: The pilot, 32-year-old John Brad Wahl
Why: Under investigation.Wahl was spraying the fungicide "Quilt" and the pesticide "Hero." He dumped his load of chemicals before going down.

RAF Emergency landing on Playground

What: 2-tonne Chinook
Where: in Stoke by Clare, Suffolk
Who: 3 airmen
Why: Chopper hit a bird which caused the engine to catch fire.

After the Chinook landed, the 3 crewmen got out and asked locals for directions.

Another Chinook landed in the vicinity to deliver a mechanic. Both helicopters successfully returned to their base at RAF Wattisham.

Careflight Chopper Makes Emergency Landing

What: St. Mary's Careflight
Where: Fruita Monument high school
When: 11 o'clock
Why:drop in hydraulic pressure

* Note: Mechanics added hydraulic fluid and the helicopter was flown to St Marys where it received an inspection.

Helicopter Missing in Japan

What: Helicopter
Where: disappeared off the coast of Japan's Aomori prefecture
When: Sunday July 6
Who: An announcer and a cameraman from the Asahi Broadcasting Aomori and other passengers

Emergency: Medical Emergency crash

What: PHI Medical transport helicopter (air ambulance) in transit from Huntsville, Texas to Houston, Texas.
Where: Sam Houston National Forest, Houston.
When: 2:45 a.m Sunday Morning
Who: 4 fatalities:pilot, a nurse, paramedic, and the patient, David Disman
Why: Under investigation

Pilot, instructor survive helicopter crash

What: helicopter registered to High Desert Helicopters LLC located in Ogden
Where: in Pleasant View near Rocky Point
When: 8:45 a.m. Monday
Who: pilot and student. No fatalities. Student was injured.
Why:Engine lost power

Helicopter Crash: Panama

What: SAN helicopter with tail number 100
Where: Banana Price store in Calidonia near Via España
When: Thursday May 29
Who: 3 passengers (two pilots and one mechanic.) 1 crew member survived, 2 in a street kiosk were killed.
Why: Crashed into the roof of the building before falling into the street. Cause is under investigation.

Helicopter Crash: Boulder County Co

What: Home built RotorWay kit Helicopter
Where: Boulder County
When: May 18, 2008
Who: Pilot (A 58-year old Erie man)
Why: wind gust

Med Flight Helicopter crash

What: American Eurocopter EC13 Med Flight helicopter
Where: La Crosse Wisconsin after dropping off a patient at medical facility
When: 10:48 p.m. Saturday
Who: surgeon, nurse and pilot surgeon Darren Bean, nurse Mark Coyne and pilot Steve Lipperer.
Why:Helicopter appeared to have struck a hill or some trees.


Slideshow of crash photos