Helicopter forced to land on rice farm: Pilots unhurt
TWO expatriate pilots escaped death when their helicopter made a forced landing on St Joseph’s Tenaru School rice farm yesterday morning.
It’s believed the chopper developed engine problem after taking off from the nearby Honiara International Airport.
An eye witness Allan Woria told the Solomon Star at the scene, the helicopter uncontrollably tumbled to the ground.
“I was still trying to get myself out of bed at about 7 am when the incident happened,” he said.
“I heard the roaring sound of the helicopter approaching Tenaru, but the engine sound was very unusual.
“One can tell by the engine sound that something was wrong.”
Mr Woria said he jumped out to investigate and saw the chopper spiralling uncontrollably to the ground.
“It looks to me like the pilots were trying their best to control the chopper but really can’t,” he said.
He said the chopper must have developed mechanical problems after it took off from the Henderson airport.
“The chopper whirled as it approached the clear farm land.
“It came down uncontrollably and landed with its nose before its tail tumbled on the ground and broke.”
Mr Woria said few minutes later, the two pilots emerged from the chopper’s cockpit.
“They walked out looking a bit numbed and panic but were not hurt,” he said.
He said the two went out and walked around the cactus chopper to investigate the damage.
When Solomon Star visited the site, the chopper was already dismantled and taken away in a truck.
Attempts to identify the owners of the helicopter yesterday proved futile.
The Civil Aviation Division confirmed the incident but refused to give details and who owns the chopper.
“We will not give any information whatsoever to the media until we finish our investigation,” a spokesman insisted last night.
PDL Toll, which operates helicopters RAMSI’s been using to fly officials to remote locations, said the chopper is not theirs.