Highest helicopter rescue
 

What was the highest helicopter rescue or rescue attempt and what helicopter was used?

What are the traps at high altitudes, besides high winds&turbulence?

My fellow countryman is in trouble at altitude 6000m on Nanga Parbat. Word of eurocopter's altitude record braking AS350 B3 to attempt a rescue is spreading like wildfire. Others are saying that a Lama is a better option, piloted by eurocopter's test pilot.

http://www.humar.com/en/index.php

What do you think are the chances of a successful rescue? I usually am an optimist, but in that environment i'm a sceptic :ugh:

An Indian AF HAL Cheetah (SA315 Lama) carried out a series of rescue flights on the Kamet glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas at 23,240 ft (density altitude) in May 2004 to rescue causalities from a mountaineering expedition.

I/C

Colonel Madan "K. C." Khatri Chhetri of the Nepal Army recieved numerous awards and citations for a high altitude rescue off Mount Everest in an AS350 B2 during the disastrous 1996 climbing season. I'm not sure if it was an altitude record, but Colonel Madan K.C. certainly deserves honorable mention.

This story keeps running, with official claims they have and equally official claims that they haven't. Anyone know the real story?


No chopper landing on Mt Everest

Posted on 07 August 2005 - 15:25

The Nepalese Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has confirmed that a Eurocopter did not land on top of Everest in mid May of this year.

Following press that a helicopter had skidded down on the world’s highest mountain, the Ministry ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to implement an investigation into whether a French made helicopter, the AS 350B3 landed on top of Mount Everest.

International news on May 14 of 2005 had reported in Europe that the machine had touched down on the peak.

On May 24 the French aviation company organized a press conference in Paris, announcing that its helicopter had landed atop the highest mountain in the world.

According to the Nepalese Ministry, the company had applied at the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Paris to gain permission for conducting test flights of its aircraft in high altitude. This was approved but did not include permission to land on top of Everest.

Later the Solu District Administration Office informed the central Nepalese authorities that the chopper, in course of its test flights, had landed on top of Mount Everest.

In the recent investigation, helicopter pilot Didier Delsalle noted that the chopper had not landed on Mount Everest. He stated that it was not possible to land on the difficult terrain of the high Himalayas.

I have brought this thread back to the top as the most extraordinary drama is unfolding. They are waiting for clear weather and then a Pakistani air force pilot is going to try to pluck him from the face of Nanga Parbat in a Lama. How he is holding on is incredible.

QDM

I hope he holds on long enough... :(

Well.............................................?


Did they, didn't they?

Couldn't possibly have happened...... you know those French!!! Let's wait for the official Nepalese version of events (or maybe, let's not.....)

Common guy´s this has been discussed to death in another post. I think it pretty obvious to anyone that seen the video they landed on the top of Mt. Everest.

Here is Eurocopter´s reply to the Nepalese press release:

Mount Everest landing and take-off : Eurocopter statement

Marignane, June 7, 2005

Further to the Civil Aviation Authorities of Nepal (CAAN) statement released from Katmandou on June 3rd, 2005, Eurocopter does confirm that its serial Ecureuil AS 350B3 did achieve the World Record performance of high altitude landing and take-off on Mount Everest (8850m) on May 14th and 15th 2005 as per FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) standards.

Eurocopter regrets the misunderstanding with the CAAN.

Indeed the permission given by the CAAN to the Eurocopter team was very clear and did concern “Everest High Altitude Heli Flight Test”, including landings and take-offs” as per Eurocopter flight test programme given to CAAN in March 2005.

This Mount Everest landing and take-off feat has been performed under control of a FAI Official Observer and according to the FAI rules, i.e. “the touch down/take-off ensure that the rotorcraft maintains contact with the ground at least 2mn”.

This World Record is currently under validation.

As shown in the video on our Eurocopter website (www.eurocopter.com/everest ) this was the case as the Ecureuil AS350B3 remained landed 3mn 50 on May 14th and over 4mn on the next day.

He was saved early this morning by army pilots of Pakistan and a Lama i guess. I'm happy for saving a life, but something stinks here. All the drama, support of Pakistan goverment, :yuk:

I wouldn't be surprised if he is already back in Slovenia drinking a cup of coffee and laughing at all this.

The Eurocopter account is correct!

The FAI official was dropped off on the summit of Everest by a R22 earlier on in the day so that he could monitor the B3's attempt!

:E

Hahaha, good one Oogle.:D :ok:

Doesn't quite match the IAF Cheetah record SAR lift, but well-done to the Mi-8 crew anyhow.

High-Flying Rescue In The Himalayas
Aeronews 10 Aug '05

Pakistani Helicopter Snags Climber at 19,500 Feet
It's thought to be the highest-altitude mountain rescue in history -- a Pakistani Mi-8 climbed to approximately 19,500 feet to rescue Slovenian climber Tomaz Humar from a cliff on Nanga Parbat.

It was the end of a 72-hour life-or-death ordeal for Humar, who has made a number of attempts to climb the mountain. It's considered one of the most dangerous peaks in the Himalayas and the path Humar had taken has never been successfully climbed.

"We've been worried all along. He reported his sleeping bag and clothing getting wet and he says he's very cold at night," Nazir Sabir told the BBC Wednesday.

Humar had been trapped on the mountain by bad weather. As he was being pulled from the cliff by a rope attached to one of two Mi-8s that had been dispatched by the Pakistani Army, his own rope, attached to the mountainside, became snagged. Humar had to cut it before he could be lifted down the mountainside to his base camp.

"He is absolutely all right," military spokesman Col Atique Rehman told Reuters.


I/C

p.s. Oogle - are you a JH regular by any chance :suspect: :E

Ian

Sorry to disappoint but I don't even know who you mean by "JH".

As much as i know, all the reports coming to slovenia state that it was a cheetah, not a mi-8.

Sorry - is it me, or are there two completely different threads running here???????????????????????

The one I'm on about is the rescue of this lads 'mate' who is clinging to a rock face.


What has the everest landing by a 350 got to do with it????

Ooglee.. "JH" is a what not a who! Its a forum of a not very reputable reputation..

Thomas.. I think it is about both, people were wondering if this guy could be rescued. Fortunately he was.

Looks like Phoinix was right - it was a Lama that performed the rescue, not a Mi-8. Videos of the op here.

I/C

https://vimeo.com/altitudehelicopter...elialtitudecom


No doubt VF will have some info on this?

I just watched the recent ' Everest ' movie and wondered if anyone would like to discuss the implications if the climbing professionals care of their 'charges' had been aviators instead Was there any enquiry and what would such an aviation enquiry have revealed ?