RIP to Olivier and Loic

[learr]

For those who flew with Olivier Micheaux and Loic Le Helley in Mali and Gabon, i have a very sad news, they died yesterday in Freetown, the helicopter ferring the crew to the airport crashed.

Rest In Peace

Learr

[learr]

Yes they were flying for the airline in Gabon doing a flight for the soccer team from togo, for those who use to fly with STA to Lome, Diallo (Togo) were with them.

May they all rest in peace

Learr

[4HolerPoler]

Very sad news. Reports on other websites that the Russian pilot jumped out the chopper before it landed; he's barely alive but no-one else made it out.

As a sign of how mercenary this world is this advert hit the web today:

DC-9 Captain Gabon

Captain position available immediately (must be current on the DC-9)............

Second African crew to be killed by the failure of someone else's airplane in two months. So regretful.

Be careful out there. Our thoughts & prayers are with the families.

4HP

[concordino]

May God rest their souls in eternal peace.
I worked with both Olivier and Loic and knew both of them on a personal basis.
My deepest and most sincere condolences to their families.

[AdamCG]

Helicopter Crash Kills at Least 19

allAfrica.com
NEWS
4 June 2007

A Paramount Airlines helicopter in Sierra Leone crashed Sunday, reportedly killing at least 19. The helicopter was carrying passengers from an African Cup of Nations qualifying match where Togo won 1-0 in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, to the airport.

Richard Attipoe, Togo's minister of sport, is among the dead. The World Aeronautical Press Agency reports the helicopter "developed mechanical problems and its engines failed" before it crashed. The Ukranian pilots both jumped from the aircraft before it crashed, but only one survived, the agency said.

A river separates the city of Freetown from the airport. For many years, the sparcity and unreliability of transport between the capital and the airport has been a bottleneck. Aging helicopters and frequently out-of-service ferries and hovercraft have been the only way to avoid a several-hour detour to a land crossing of the Sierra Leone River that separates Lungi Airport from Freetown. President Kabbah had pledged that he would build a bridge to connect the capital to the airport by the end of his term this year - a goal which is far from being realized.

Paramount Airlines, owned by a Nigerian businessman, is one of the few carriers operating helicopter flights between the city and the airport. The air carrier is banned in the EU; however, outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair used its services during his recent visit to Sierra Leone.

[split bus]

I've used this "shuttle" many times during my days in Freetown. At the time we were told they were "safer" then the only other commercial operator, "Diamonds"

In fact, the only ones crashing at that time were the UN choppers.

Any pictures ?

Nice CRM from the pilots to jump and leave their FE behind..... and pax of course.

Split

[yanafrica]

WE WILL MISS YOU A LOT
RIP

[ShenziRubani]

RIP Guys and Godspeed!!

[Flying brick]

Rest in peace, my friends...

Condolances to all the friends and families of those exceptional guys.

[agathe]

I am an ex girl friend of Loïc, in France.

I've seen him for the last time 2 years ago. I still see his brother. I appreciate to read the words of those who worked with him. i'm sure his family will be happy to know that people think about him.

I'll try to translate your messages to them. I thank you all.

[DHC]

Hi Agathe,

Very sade news :( we will miss Loic and Olivier :sad:

Sincere condolences to their families.

Agathe, we met each other in Bamako with Loic, few years ago; I hope you're doing well ?

Rest In Peace

Dhc

[agathe]

Hi DHC,

Thank you for your message...

I'm sorry but it wasn't me in Bamako... I never could visit Loic during all these years, I only saw him once a year when he visited his family, near Marseille.

I know his parents never visited him in Mali. Those days they're in Togo, I think they'll come back in France tomorrow. I'm sure they would be happy to have the translation of your messages, to learn a bit more of his african life ! I'm glad to have found this forum, just writting his name in Google...

If you have any story to tell us, it would be such a pleasure to read you, for me, his parents, his brother Pierrick and his sister Gaelle.

Thank you so much.
Agathe

[FFG]

Hi,
I'm one of the old player of the West African scene. I met Olivier and Loic briefly on a tarmac in Cotonou, french connection speaks.
All I can say is they seemed happy doing what they were doing.
Just one word for the famillies.
Je veux simplement vous dire combien la disparition d'Olivier et de Loïc me touche. Toute le communauté des pilotes français en Afrique de l'Ouest est dévasté par le drame qui vous touche. Nous pensons tous à vous, et aux notres aussi, car la malchance d'Olivier et Loïc, aurais aussi bien pu être la notre.
Rien ne vous consoleras, mais je veux simplement vous dire ceci: L'aviation est une passion que nous poursuivont tous ici avec des idées limpides sur les risques que nous prenons. Nous acceptons ces risques en échanges des incroyables moments que nous avons la chance de vivre, et ils sont légion. Nous acceptons aussi de prendre ces risques pour nous construire une carrière, et rejoindre un jour des horizons plus favorables à nos attentes et nos vies de famille. Les pilotes aujourd'hui en ligne, issus de notre "filière" sont tous nostalgiques de cette période de leur vie. Pour rien au monde je n'échangerai la place que je me suis fait contre une place à l'ENAC, certains sont bons à l'école, d'autre ont une vocation pour l'aventure, et une vie hors des entiers battus.
Votre drame est une des épreuves les plus difficiles qu'une famille puisse un jour renconter. Je 'm'associe à votre peine, avec la certitude que Loïc et Olivier sont partis en faisant ce qu'ils aimaient le plus.
Notre tristesse est infinie, mais malgré tout, nous continuerons à faire ce que nous faisons, avec l'idée que le destin nous prive constemment des meilleurs d'entre nous. Et avec l'idée folle que de là où ils sont, ils vieillent sur nous...
Sincères condoléleances.
Charles-H. Restout

[GUSTO]

Je me joins au message de Charles .

Olivier S

[ZAZOO]

Was in Freetown a few days ago and walked up to the crash site at the far end of the Apron. Sad
On our taxi out to Dakar the captain and I talked about why the Avirex DC9 was still doing parked there at Lungi.
We had no clue that the crew lost their lives in the chopper crash I have just been reading that here now. I am totaly shocked and devasted.
My heart and sincere condolences go out to the families of these men and all those who lost their precious lives that day in this terrible accident.
Olivier et Loic nous pensons tous à vous a Bellview Airlines.
Sincères condoléleances.
Zazoo

PS: A few times we had to spend the night at Lungi due technical or whatever. I insisted on staying near the airport if the last ferry had gone off. Just did not want a ride with those choppers.

[Flying Touareg]

RIP fellas.

http://us.airliners.net/photos/middle/5/4/1/1159145.jpg (http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1159145&size=L&width=1024&height=816&sok=JURER%20%20%28pbhagel%20%3D%20%27Pnzrebba%27%29%20%20BEQ RE%20OL%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=3)

[cristele]

my english is very simple, i prefer to speak in french.
ceci est une réponse à agathe qui souhaitait communiquer qq infos à la famille de loic sur sa vie en afrique.
nous nous sommes rencontrés à bamako. il m'a rendu service et hebergé qq temps. il me reste une ou deux photos, et un mail tout simple que je garderais en souvenir.
c'était un garcon très généreux, cultivé, qui m'a surpris par ses capacités de guitariste. j'ai encore quelques disques maliens. à mon avis, il a vécu intensément et fait ce qu'il aimait. il aimait l'afrique et les africains. ses rapports avec les gens étaient très simples malgré sa fonction.
je suis très peinée d'avoir appris sa mort, il y a deux mois à peine. je le croyais toujours au gabon.
j'avais aussi rencontré olivier, un homme aussi gentil que lui et très timide.
si vous souhaitez discuter un peu, malgré les années, je sais que le deuil est toujours long, dites le moi.
je suis en colère de savoir que leur mort a été causée par autrui. ils ont conduit des opérations risquées, et s'ils avaient été les pilotes surement auraient ils évités cela.
loic fait parti des belles rencontres amicales de ma vie, et de celles qui me donne foi en l'être humain. sa famille peut être fière de lui. ce qu'il a fait pour moi, peu de gens l'aurait fait.

Translated - This is a reply to agathe somewhere who wanted to communicate information to the family of loic on his life in Africa.
we met in Bamako. I served and hosted qq time. I still have one or two photos and a simple mail that I would keep as a souvenir.
it was a very generous boy, grown, which surprised me by his ability as a guitarist. I still have some records maliens. I think he lived intensely and does what he loved. He loved Africa and Africans. his relations with people were very simple, despite its function.
I am very sorry to have learned his death, two months ago. I always believed in Gabon.
I met Olivier, a man so nice that he and very shy.
if you want to discuss a bit, despite the years, I know the grief is still long, tell me.
I am angry to know that their death was caused by others. they drive risky operations, and whether they were pilots surely they would have avoided this.
loic is one of the finest gatherings of my life, and that gives me faith in human beings. his family can be proud of him. what he has done for me, few people would have done.