Head of Cavair dies in Helicopter crash

[newswatcher]

From American sources:

A helicopter crashed into a Sauk County home(Wisconsin) this weekend(8/8). The helicopter clipped some power lines over Lake Wisconsin before crashing. Three people in the home escaped. Christopher Matthews of Fort Lauderdale, the chairman of Cavair Corp, was reportedly one of two who died in the crash.

[Time Out]

Authorities continue to investigate accident north of Prairie du Sac.

Investigators identified a 29-year-old man as a passenger in the helicopter that crashed into a home on the shores of Lake Wisconsin last week, killing both occupants and injuring two people in the home.

In a press release from the Sauk County Sheriff's Department, Jim Beauregard, of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., was identified as the second fatality.

He was an aide to Christopher Matthews, 54, of the United Kingdom, who was the pilot of the helicopter and the chairman of a helicopter service and maintenance company in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Both died when their eight-seat touring helicopter crashed into the home in an area known as Grubers Grove, about two miles north of Prairie du Sac.

Three people were in the home when the helicopter crashed, sending a fire ball through the residence. The occupants escaped the house before flames engulfed it.

One person in the home was uninjured and the other two received minor cuts and bruises. One was taken to the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital and the other refused treatment.

Matthews was the chairman of CAV-AIR Corp. Evidence from the helicopter, including a passport, pilot flight log and receipts, all named Matthews.

When detectives contacted CAV-AIR, employees confirmed that a helicopter from a Delaware aviation company had been operated by Matthews.

According to its Web site, CAV-AIR provides service and support to the helicopter industry, working both with government agencies and private customers.

Sauk County Sheriff's Capt. Chip Meister said Matthews was believed to be sightseeing in the United States. Sauk County detectives said Matthews had been in Montana and Rochester, Minn. earlier Friday.

Guillermo Carabajal, the CEO of CAV-AIR, said the helicopter was new and only had about 200 hours of flight time when the two took off for a vacation trip.

"We were expecting them on the night of Sunday or Monday morning at Fort Lauderdale airport after a one-month vacation with his family," Carabajal wrote in an e-mail.

Carabajal said Matthews was the father of three children. Beauregard was single.

About 8 p.m. Friday emergency crews received a 911 call stating a helicopter crashed into a house.

The helicopter traveled east over Lake Wisconsin before it crashed, Stammen said.

According to witnesses, the helicopter became tangled in some power lines.

Haakon Carlson and three others were returning from a boat ride on Grubers Grove Bay when they saw the helicopter coming in low.

Carlson said when he saw the aircraft about 7:45 p.m. he first thought the pilot was trying to "buzz" the bay area because of its altitude.

"That was our impression: 'This guy is coming in way too low,'" he said.

They later saw some high power lines swinging and surmised the helicopter clipped the lines and lost control, he said.

Carlson said he saw debris coming off the helicopter before it went below the tree line and crashed.

"We saw it tumbling over us," he said. "Fortunately for us the momentum carried its parts over our heads and beyond us.

"Almost after it was overhead we realized it was coming apart and losing control," he said.

Carlson said he couldn't tell what kind of helicopter it was, but that it was definitely not a red-and-white MedFlight aircraft sometimes seen in the area. He described it as "non-descript," and "brownish-gray."

Fire Departments from Sauk City, Merrimac, Prairie du Sac and Lodi responded. Sauk City Fire Captain Jim Kirch said crews from four departments were able to control the fire.

The Sauk Prairie Ambulance Service and emergecny technicians tended to the people who were in the home and to firefighters.

Sauk County Law Enforcement officials had no more information about why the helicopter crashed into a home. Officials believe the crash occurred after the helicopter struck power lines over the lake.

American Transmission Company confirmed one a power line between Prairie du Sac and Portage was damaged, but not severed.

Officials from the sheriff's department, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

- Capital Newspaper

source (http://speagle.scwn.com/articles/2004/08/11/news/news02.txt)

[ppheli]

Lack of light was perhaps a contributor. The FAA initial report shows an accident time of 00:50. He was not a full-time resident of Fort Lauderdale, with many of the news stories quoting that for the past six years he had lived as a tax-exile aboard his 120ft yacht Tosca III (http://www.tosca3.com), alternating six months in the Caribbean and six months in the Mediterranean. He held a UK passport and was listed at #232 in this year's "Sunday Times Rich List"

He is profiled briefly on the Seastream website at http://www.seastream.com/corp_2.html


************************************************************ ********************
** Report created 8/12/2004 Record 4 **
************************************************************ ********************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 450CM Make/Model: EC13 Description: EUROCOPTER EC130
Date: 08/07/2004 Time: 0050

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
City: PRAIRIE DU SAC State: WI Country: US

DESCRIPTION
EUROCOPTER EC130 ROTORCRAFT STRUCK A POWERLINE, TUMBLED ONTO A HOUSE AND
INTO THE RIVER, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THE
ROTORCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, PRAIRE DU SAC, WI

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 2 Fat: 2 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: DLL 0055Z 23003KT 10SM 72/54 A3011



OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: General Aviation

Departed: UNK Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: UNK Flt Plan: UNK Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK

FAA FSDO: MILWAUKEE, WI (GL13) Entry date: 08/09/2004

************************************************************ ********************

[Thomas coupling]

the helo ownwer was from cheshire. he owned an online dating agency.
His passenger was one of these new generation 'super butlers', paid a huge salary to work overtime /speak several languages / drive / fly /sail etc.

RIP guys................................

[vaqueroaero]

Is he not the guy who placed that advert in the Telegraph (?) last year that became famous because of it's wording for a 'super butler'?
The papers also did a follow up story on the guy who got the job.

The scary thing is that I got into the last 10 for the job..........

May they rest in peace.

[ppheli]

TC - yes, he had an address in Cheshire, and a 206 there for a short time, but all the reports to him being marine resident.

vaqueroaero - yes, see this report in the Daily Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/08/12/wdate12.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/08/12/ixworld.html) which quotes...

Mr Beauregard was selected from 1,000 applicants around the world after the Cheshire-born tycoon advertised for "a highly intelligent workaholic with a skin like a rhinoceros".

The advert went on: "You will work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You will be expected to spend several weeks a year skiing and it would help if you could dive, sail, fly fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and speak several European languages. You will also carry bags, book flights, act as a chauffeur and do any grot work which needs doing. The hours will be unreasonable. When I go skiing, I don't want to be incommunicado, so I expect my assistant to go too. It's a great life."

The advertisement concluded with the warning: "If you are married, get divorced now because you will never see your partner again.".

[Cyclic Hotline]

Well, he was right about the last part!