Accident in Yemen - and, incredibly, everyone survived!!! (More pictures added)

[imabell]

i have previously posted photo's of my friend slava, a russian bloke flying mils in yemen.

i just recieved this email from him and thought i should show you how lucky you can be.

the mil wreckage is upside down on the edge of a precipice and they all got out.

i have also posted his email, i am sure he won't mind.

dear friends,
I was busy last time, so I did not time to send any news about me. I have
worked hard here in Yemen untill yesterday's morning, but now I have got a
lots of time because of my helicopter was crached 18th of May early morning
in rocky mountains due to engine failure. I doubt whether it was technical
problem or someone has shot at helicopter. We have had a lots of problems
with local people which disagree with their government decision about border
line and everytime protest against it by force of arms. To bear arms is not
prohibit here and everybody can buy firearms weapons everywhere...

In any case it happened. Thanks to God I was lucky enough and successful
landed my helicopter on the edge of a precipice. The helicopter has
destroyed completely. See photo, it was practically impossible to stay alive
after that but all 20 passengers and my crew just have had slightly
hurt!!!??? INCREDIBLE!!! It was very lucky day.

Now everybody in our camp give me moral support and congratulations. It
looks like I am a hero but it is not true I have iust done my job properly
and tried to save their life. I could not cause my lovely wife a great deal
of sorrow and I have survived.

It is mean that I will fly longer! It is mean that I will see all of you
again one day! It is mean we will live a full and happy life!!!

See you my friends.
With love, Slava.

http://www.bluetonguehelicopters.com.au/pprune/sl.jpg

this email is from his lovely wife

Hi graeme,

I am trying to get back to normal since I heard that Slava’s helicopter
crashed in the mountains. It happened yesterday morning. Investigation is on
and one of the reasons as pointed by the technician staff is shot. They got
shot right in the engine. Slava is fine and all 20 passengers are alive
also. Slava's arm and leg are injured because he landed helicopter, it is
difficult to call "helicopter", what left of the helicopter on the cliff and
put helicopter down his side. Shocked people ran away trough the co-pilot’s
window and some of them ran over the crew. Crew left the helicopter last.
They stopped fuel system and cut of power very quickly during the falling
down.
What happened very suddenly, helicopter was hovering letting people get off.
Only two passengers got off as crew heard a very loud nose coming from the
left engine and helicopter started falling down. Mechanic pulled off people
back to prevent the killing them by the rotor blades. That was a very high
point in the mountains. Slava started to be looking for the cliff or
something suitable to touch the land. Otherwise nothing would leave of them
if helicopter felt all the way down. Slava and his crew did very well. The
tail of the helicopter was cut off by the rotor blades. So that was a big
luck for them to stay alive.

He has got congratulations from the European client, a client’s
representative was on board in the crew cabin and saw everything; and his
company for saving people's lives. I got some photos from the place of
crash. Believe me they are impressive. When I look at them I realize how
close I was to lose my loved one. It is terrible. I want to have him for a
couple of weeks here in Kabul. He promised to come over as soon as
investigation has been completed.

So, that is all our news for the moment. I am still shocked. It is hard to
believe that our lives can stop at any time. graeme enjoy every day being
together with your loved one. We never know what is next.

I will ask Slava to e-mail some photos to you.

I am still down and at the same time I say thank got for blessing Slava. It
is a good sign; we still have a long and happy life onward.

Love you and hugs,
Liya

[Flying Lawyer]

Thanks for posting the photograph and, even more, the moving e-mails.

What a modest guy.
'Hero' fits the bill well - even if he's too modest to accept the accolade.

[Mogg]

I hope when my time comes,
That I will be like Slava
The last man out alive.

[imabell]

I just received these images from Slava in Yemen.
Wonder if they have lotteries over there??

On the edge

http://www.bluetonguehelicopters.com.au/pprune/slav4.jpg

http://www.bluetonguehelicopters.com.au/pprune/slava5.jpg

The reason for the engine faiure.
Can you believe it???


http://www.bluetonguehelicopters.com.au/pprune/rag.jpg

So much for tea towels!


http://www.bluetonguehelicopters.com.au/pprune/rag2.jpg





Now look again at the first photo to see where the helicopter stopped! :eek:

Heliport

[BlenderPilot]

Mis respetos para este piloto desde Mexico!

[Bronx]

I think this is one of the most amazing flying stories I've ever read.
It's difficult to think of a worse place to cope with an engine failure. This pilot kept his cool, used his skill and experience and found somewhere to put it down after an engine failure in the hover. That guy saved the lives of his 20 passengers and crew.

Strange how it hasn't attracted many comments here.
If he'd been a home pilot in America, Canada, Australia or England there'd have been loadsa 'Well Done the Pilot' posts.

Maybe it's because he was a Russian pilot flying in Yemen and we're not interested? :confused:



Please pass on my admiration to your friend Imabell.

[cpt]

You are right Bronx, Russian crews are doing amazing jobs without a big fuss of it....Here in Afria, with their Antonv 12 and others they have saved hundred of lifes in supplying food and goods to places and in conditions that would have made heroes of others.
They use to remain humble and proud of their profession....it's another culture....but we also can say that they are not too much embarrassed by our stupid and inadapted regulations paralysing our wings and blades....
I have myself flown seismics in Yemen, with Lama's some years ago, I know the place. I also know this Russian crew doesn't expect congratulations on this forum....he knows that they are granted by those who know....

[[email protected]]

Will all passengers please remove headgear/loose articles of clothing before leaving the aircraft!!
Well done the crew.

[the wizard of auz]

Well done that pilot and crew!!!!!. :ok:

remarkably intact for a prang....................tough bit of gear.

[MaxNg]

Imabell

For what its worth when I read your post the first time I had intended to "pass on my regards to the crew for a job well done" but I think Bronx is right, we (or maybe just me, don't seem to feel the same sense of commradary that we/I have for western pilots that have suffered similar incidents) so please pass on my respect and regards to the crew concerned, and I will endeaver to take a broarder view from now on.:O

What does bother me about this incident is that a $3 tea towell was able to bring down and potentially kill 20 people and destroy a $3mil aircraft.

Had this aircraft been fitted with evan a basic intake mesh filter this would have resulted in nothing more than compressor surging and hopefuly would have not needed the highly skilled intervention from the crew as seen above.

Please do not read this as a critsizm of the crew but moreover a rant at the certifying authorities that make what would appear basic protection prohibitivly expensive.

:* :*

[cpt]

MaxNg, the point is that I have seen a single nylon "K way" having shut down and destroyed the left engine on an Mi17 in the same manner than with this "tea towel" (actually they put that on their head !) .
The MI had landed on a 16000 feet glacier and was disembarking pax and material.
An engineer lost 2 of his finger tips, due to frost, in replacing this engine by a new one.

[Fox6]

Now that is ironic, a turban in a turbine.....

[chevy 76]

congratulations to the crew, well done !!

Please , Imabell, give my respect to your friend Slava ,