Dropping down rescuers by releasing the upper hooks on the helicopter is NEVER a procedure on rescue HEC operations, whatever medias are still writing. At the end of the rope is allways a ring, a metal connecting part. This metal alone accelerated by his own weight and the weight of the rope will kill instantly any person on the ground if falling down 20 or 30 meters from a helicopter right to the head of a person. On the used rope in the accident there are at least 3 metal rings, cause it was a double hook system with integrated connecting rope.
No austrian medias writing about an "ask to release" by the killed rescuer. The killed rescuer only transmitted about the hight above the ground as officials said on the press conference. Also Roy Knaus stated the Pilot released the hooks after he lost sight to prevent "something much worse".
Last edited by tecpilot; 1st May 2012 at 17:24.