IT was a miracle escape from a spectacular crash but for the experienced pilot inside the helicopter just one word came to mind: "bugger''. That was all Emma Bobridge could mutter after crawling free from the wreckage of the
Bell chopper that crashed at Olympic Park on Saturday, according to witnesses at the scene.
"She was calm and sedate and said she was fine,'' photographer Ewen Hill said following the crash.
"She walked herself to the ambulance paramedics to be treated and seemed pretty disappointed. She was so calm and unaffected.''
Mr Hill had been walking in the park as the chopper came down and said he was on his way to help get Ms Bobridge out of the wreckage when she emerged by herself.
The spectacular helicopter crash in Richmond. Picture: Michael Austin
He said it appeared that one of the helicopter's skids became caught on the landing mat as it tried to take off, causing it to lose balance and ultimately come crashing down.
The impact spread debris 30m and Ms Bobridge was forced to scramble out.
Another witness said it took just 17 seconds from the time the helicopter had tried to take off to when Ms Bobridge crawled free.
But he said the tense wait for her to emerge felt like "an eternity''.
Pilot Emma Bobridge.
Ms Bobridge, 45, was released from The Alfred hospital.
Amazingly, the experience pilot suffered only minor hand injuries despite the helicopter plummeting to the ground as it was taking off from the Collingwood Football Club's Olympic Park Base.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators were on the scene trying to piece together how the helicopter came to plummet.
They were hoping to speak to Ms Bobridge and other *witnesses.
The pilot had been ferrying punters from the Flemington racecourse, including Channel 7's racing commentator Francesca Cumani.
Choppair owner Michael van der Zypp said " the most important thing is that everyone is OK''.