Crash in Sicily 4 Fatal - Aug 12 2010

[VeeAny]

Four killed in Sicily helicopter crash | Earth Times News (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/339085,killed-sicily-helicopter-crash.html)

Messina, Sicily - Four people were killed Thursday when a helicopter crashed in Sicily shortly after take-off, Italian officials said.
The helicopter is believed to have hit a building housing a yacht factory, before crashing to the ground and exploding, said provincial firefighters chief Alessandro Paola.

[told]

Precipita elicottero nel Messinese Tra le 4 vittime due imprenditori - Palermo - Repubblica.it (http://palermo.repubblica.it/cronaca/2010/08/12/news/precipita_elicottero_nel_messinese_muiono_quattro_persone-6235168/)

[Gainesy]

I read elsewhere that it is an R44, two males and two females aboard.

[heliUD]

As far as what I've seen on the news the R44 appears to have hit the top of a building with the MR blades shortly during liftoff (the structure was shredded horizontally), subsequently rolled and caught fire.

There's a lot of speculation going on right now about the operator non possessing the AOC, but of course there's an investigation already under way.

ASN Aircraft accident 12-AUG-2010 Robinson R44 Clipper II I-KOST (http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=76242)