Four dead in chopper crash
FOUR people have been confirmed dead — including an expatriate pilot — who were onboard the Heli Niugini Limited helicopter that crashed in the remote highlands of Central Province. The four people, including two Tolukuma mine employees, were last seen alive about 11.45am at the mine site before the helicopter left, about five nautical miles south to Kerame village to drop off the corpse of a man who had died at the company’s health centre after seeking medication. The pilot was a 60-year-old Australian man who was also an experienced helicopter pilot. The fourth person who died was a villager from Kerame. Their families are being informed of their deaths. Patrick Bindon, from Brisbane-based Emperor Mines, the mother company of Tolukuma Gold Mine Limited, confirmed yesterday that by early evening on Sunday a foot patrol from the mine was sent to investigate a site to the south of the mine after an emergency location transponder was detected there. “The search and rescue personnel from Tolukuma mine reached the wreckage late in the afternoon and confirmed there were no survivors,” Mr Bindon said. Acting chief executive officer of Civil Aviation Authority Joseph Kintau, whose search and rescue division was also involved, said investigations into the crash would be conducted by the air safety investigation bureau of the Transport Department. He said the helicopter left the mine on normal weather conditions when it was on its way to Kerame. The Bell 206 helicopter was located north of the mine site after it was located on the global positioning satellite. Emperor Mines chief executive officer Brad Gordon said the staff at the mine were in shock following the incident. “My thoughts are with the families of those who were on board the flight, and to those who have lost friends and colleagues in this shocking event.”
Source:
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20061024/tuhome.htm