Mayo One Helicopter accidentally started by spectator at Minnesota Air Spectacular
The Mayo One helicopter is always a big draw at events in the area. They are looking into how the plane was started by a spectator.
By Joe Steck – Mankato Times
MANKATO, MINN. — In a rather frightening incident at the Minnesota Air Spectacular in Mankato, the Mayo One helicopter was started by a member of the public, knocking over a tent at around 2:00 pm on Saturday.
“I was sitting near the helicopter when the blades started to turn and I wondered what was going on,” said a stunned Dave Kruse who was a member of the public watching the air show “a tent near the tail of the helicopter tipped over before someone turned it off. Luckily it looked like no one was injured.”
The Mayo One aircraft was removed from the air show on Sunday and is being inspected by aircraft maintenance according to the Mayo Clinic.
While incidents at air shows do occur; it is rare to see them happen on a static display air craft.
In a video by Argo Gushwa captured the incident.
The Mayo Clinic released a press release on the incident for the public.
Yesterday, June 27, 2015, at approximately 1:45pm, a Mayo One helicopter was inadvertently powered up by a member of the public while the aircraft was parked on static display at the Minnesota Air Spectacular in Mankato.
The Mayo One team quickly initiated shutdown procedures.
Two individuals suffered minor injuries when a nearby sun shade tipped over.
The Mayo One aircraft involved in the incident has been removed from service for inspection and maintenance, which is routine.
The safety of our patients, our team members and the general public is Mayo Clinic’s highest priority.
Mayo Clinic is conducting a thorough review and has proactively reported the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration.
No further information or statements are available at this time.
Well, that could have been a lot worse
