Skycrane Crash in France

[SASless]

Any news of the S-64 Skycrane crash that is being reported?

[Flying Lawyer]

I can't find any reports but I've been told the accident happened this morning during firefighting ops on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean.

Unconfirmed:
The helicopter had just dropped water and the two crew were killed.

That came from someone flying in Athens for the Olympics, probably 17th hand, not from anyone at the scene, so I can't vouch for accuracy.

FL

[B Sousa]

Not much yet other than Friend from Italy says it was an Erikson on lease. Unknown if the crew were Americans........
Sad day...........

[PT6ER]

The crew were from Canada and France.

Our thoughts and prayers go to their families.

[bell4can]

From the french media and according to the french ministry of interior, the aircraft was on its way to the military base of Solenzara because of technical problems.

Here is a link for those able to read french:

http://info.club-corsica.com/index.php?rub=aafp&article=040826152058.ivzor4z7.txt


There were also strong gusts of wind reported (up to 120km/h).

Also on the FAA website (not much):

http://www.faa.gov/avr/aai/K_0826_N.txt

[407 Driver]

and for those of us who don't read french, we use this Online Translation service (http://world.altavista.com/).

There's a lot of us in Canada wondering if our friend(s) were involved. If you guys from across the pond can dig up any info, it would be very much appreciated.


The Translator doesn't do a perfect job, but the gist of the message is...

Two died in a helicopter water bomber accident in Corsica VENTISERI (High-Corsican), August 26, 2004 (AFP) - A Canadian pilot and his French copilot died Thursday in an accident in High-Corsican of the only helicopter water bomber with very great capacity Air-Crane, taken this summer in l'île and the south of France against the fires. L'énorme helicopter of American manufacture intervened on the recovery d'un fire which s'était declared Saturday last, when it s'est crushed in a field of the hamlet of Vix, on the commune of Ventiseri (High-Corsican), indicated a common official statement of the prefectures of High-Corsican and Corsican-of-South. "The accident was announced to 08h48 (...), the Canadian pilot and the French copilot did not survive the fall of the aircraft. The carcass of the aircraft pulverized in a multitude of small calcined pieces, lay in the beautiful medium d'une vine and, in an important ray, the grapes were carbonized on the bunches, testimony of the intense heat which was released at the time of the explosion on the Air-Crane ground, noted a photographer of l'AFP. The tail of the aircraft was found with 200 meters of the remains of l'habitacle. Investigators of the "Bureau Accident" Investigations; Directorate-General of civil l Aviation are charged with l'enquête on the exact causes of the drama. A technical investigation will be also diligentée by the Management of Defense and civil Safety. The two victims were employed by the Hélipaca company, based in Fréjus (VAr), which rented the aircraft with the ministry of l Interior. Inaugurated on July 8 in Bastia by the minister of l Interior Domenica de Villepin, l'hélicoptère, used for the first time this summer, was based for the estival season in this city. According to first elements' of l'enquête, the aircraft had to disengage its mission after having announced a technical hitch, one learned with the ministry from l Interior. device reinforced the aircraft made half-turn to rejoin the military air base of Solenzara (Corsican-of-South) when, before being able l'atteindre, it left in gimlet and fell d'une altitude d'environ 200 m, one explained of the same source. Mr. Villepin addressed his condolences to the families. At the semi-day, the prefect of Corsica, Pierre-Rene Lemas, and that of High-Corsican, Jean-Luc Videlaine, went on the spot of l'accident. L'Air-cranium, presented like the floret d'un device reinforced with fire control after a dramatic summer 2003, allowed d'atteindre places sometimes inaccessible to the Tanker plane. D'une capacity d'emport of 9.800 liters qu'il can charge in flight in only 30 seconds, this apparatus was the only one of this type engaged in France, specified the interregional Center of coordination of the operations of civil safety (Circosc). gir-hm-olm/soh/oaa

[bell4can]

Thanks 407 driver

Here is a pic of the aircraft involved:

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/afpji/20040826/040826154229.0lbc4fsp0b.jpg

[gnz]

From local newspaper:
Pilot: Kerry Walchucq (CA)
Co pilot: Jacques Pierrard (FR)

[rotornut]

September 1, 2004

France honours Canadian pilot

OTTAWA (CP) - The French government has awarded a medal to a Canadian pilot who died fighting forest fires on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, the French Embassy said Wednesday.

Terry Walchuk, 44, of Clearwater, B.C., died last week with his French co-pilot when their helicopter crashed, the embassy said. The two were working for Erickson Air-Crane Inc. of Oregon, a company specialized in fighting forest fires.

The award was announced at a memorial in Corsica on Monday. The ceremony was attended by more than 200 people, including members of the victims' families and Canada's consul general in Corsica.

The embassy said efforts were underway to repatriate Walchuk's body to Canada.