PNG crash - o/a 13 Feb 2011

[Catwalk Dweller]

I’ve just received an e-mail from my wife who tells me that her ex-brother-in-law, an Aussie fellow by the name of Lloyd who flies for an outfit in New Guinea sent out a Mayday call sometime within the last 24 hours while at 4,000 feet, and subsequently crashed into the sea about 2 kilometres from Manus Island. Apparently the wreckage has been found, but as of yet there is no sign of the crew. (I have no idea whether this was a single-pilot operation or not.)
Although he’s divorced from my sister-in-law, there are still (of course) some ties between them, and they did have a daughter together, so my sister-in-law is understandably distraught about all this. She’s still awaiting word; in the meantime, I wonder if anyone reading this has any information that may be encouraging or comforting? I’d be very careful of anything that I passed along. (I’ve done a cursory search of the few helicopter sites I know of, but haven’t found any info so far.)

Lastly, I’ve opted to post this message here, in Rotorheads—it was a toss-up between here or the Rumours & News section instead. If the Moderator sees fit to move it, then I’d certainly understand.

Many thanks in advance.
Out.

[bretto22]

Copied from the daily telegraph.

AN Australian man is missing feared dead after a helicopter crash in Papua New Guinea.
The 57-year-old man has been missing since late yesterday when the helicopter he was piloting crashed in rugged terrain.

It is understood the man is an experienced pilot who has been working in the mining industry for a number of years.

A Department Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokes woman confirmed the The Australian High Commission in Port Moresby was co-ordinating a search for the missing man.

"Consular officials from the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby are liaising closely with local authorities and the man's employer," she said.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra is providing consular assistance to the man's family."

This is never a nice thing to happen.. My thoughts are with the family...

[The Ozzie BOY]

AN Australian pilot is missing after his helicopter crashed into the sea off a remote Papua New Guinea island.

The 57-year-old Queensland man has been missing since his helicopter crashed in the Bismark Sea 36km south of Manus Island, in PNG's north, yesterday.


Pacific Helicopters owner, Mal Smith, who is also Eastern Highlands Province governor, said people were searching for the pilot on this morning and some wreckage had been found.

"He still might be alive. It's a hope by me," he said.

"I know he is a very fit person and there was a small nearby island he could have swum to, but at this stage it's just a hope," he said.

The experienced pilot was flying helicopters from the Eastern Highlands centre of Goroka to Manus for mining contractors, Mr Smith said.

He had been working in PNG's mining industry for about four years.

Mr Smith said that weather conditions were good and the sea was smooth when the helicopter went down.

"There was an emergency then a crash. Why? We just don't know right now."

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokeswoman said the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby was liaising with local authorities and Pacific Helicopters.

"DFAT in Canberra is providing consular assistance to the man's family," she said.


Read more: Aussie pilot missing in PNG helicopter crash | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/world/aussie-pilot-missing-in-png-helicopter-crash/story-e6frfkui-1226005667139#ixzz1DtOdDAjM)

[Night Beetle]

So very sad.

I hope he is indeed on the island.

I wonder if the egg has his pilots insured? Some of you may well remember a previous accident when the estate was sent a bill.:mad:

[Waghi Warrior]

F**k, F**k !
I hope it's not the guy I heard departing Goroka yesterday morning (13th) at about 0750 for Madang. Can't recall the call sight but it started with F, which would indicate it was a Squirrel.
The pilot was an Aussie. There is still hope I would like to think, however if he hasn't been found by now I'd say things aren't looking good, especially considering SAR up here in PNG doesn't exist, especially out in the Manus area !

RIP mate.

[Heliringer]

Lloyd Lester is the pilot's name on the ABC website.


http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201102/r718229_5682581.jpg

[Flingwing47]

Sorry to hear the sad news. Did similar ferries to/from Manus in the 70s with 206s for Helitrans - being a single engine, at that time regs and SOPs required a fixed wing escort - Besty or Crooky followed behind in PDQ or the Shrike.
Sure hope he is found soon. :sad:

[tolakuma manki]

Was in the air listening to 6538 Madang when Lloyd made the "call".
He sounded in control and was not panicked.
Madang asked him to confirm Mayday and he repeated it and the last words I heard were" We are going in"

Niugini Heli chopper was over the site in a few minutes, and could not see much other than a few bits and pieces.

Another operator from Madang sent a machine out, about 1 and 1/2 hours from Madang, with the help of some locals in a boat, they retrieved part of TR blade, life raft ( not deployed) and other bits.

Call sign PHL, FX Squirrel

RIP Captain

NIGHT BEETLE:
Do you know the whole story about the incident and subsequent offers made to the widow, or are you relying on gossip and innuendo?

[BigEars00]

Thank you all for the information regarding the incident with my Dad- in particular, for the information on the Mayday call. It's calming to know that he was not panicked before entering the sea.

Not sure why it's necessary to mention a previous incident when an estate was sent a bill, pretty insensitive but it's your right to voice your thoughts.

Thank you again and rest in peace, Dad. X

[Screw Loose]

To be factual.......PHL is a B2 squirrel

[Night Beetle]

Bigears00
I knew your father on a professional basis and I am am sorry for your loss.It maybe insensitive but it is not until something like this happens that brings out all the dirty washing. Company funded insurance cover(to save paying for the real cover) is a joke.

A word to all the new ones in PNG check what cover you have while at work.

The Australian news networks had a meal of the invoice sent to the grieving widow,maybe that forced the 'subsquent' offer.Of which I have no knowledge,suffice to say it should never have gone that far.

[gulliBell]

This was a terrible event and all those who knew Lloyd and worked with him are very melancholy and down-beat about his accident. There is a different frame of mindset evolving in PNG about accident investigations (for the better) and it's quite likely that the Australian ATSB will be assisting with this investigation. I've heard from my operatives up there that, despite the deep water at the accident site, the possibility of using outside resources to recover the aircraft is being sought.

I'm sure that considerable effort will be expended to discover the truth about what happened and, hopefully, knowing what happened will provide some solace to his family and those who knew him.

[tolakuma manki]

maybe that forced the 'subsquent' offer

So Nite beetle you ARE just repeating gossip.
The offers were made before the bill was sent.

[Savoia]

.
Lloyd was a wonderful character and someone for whom I had an appreciable amount of time.

We served together in PNG in 1989 when he joined Hevilift and was assigned to the contract I was on, a four month long seismic affair based out of the irreverently named 'Morehead' located in the Western (Fly) Province.

We cultivated many memorable moments during what was an intense contract working one-day rotations with a crew of 6 pilots and 2 mechanics utilising 3 aircraft which flew up to 11 hours per day. Lloyd and I shared the same aircraft during one of his month-long tours while I remained on station.

When I left Hevilift at the end of '89 having been 'seduced' by their competition, and prior to returning to Italy on leave, I passed via Sydney where I checked myself in to a fancy hotel somewhere downtown near the harbour. I called up Lloyd who, within what seemed like minutes, appeared in the hotel lobby complaining like 'f*ck' (as he would often exclaim) about my decision to spend hundreds of dollars at the five-star inn. He wouldn't hear of it and insisted on taking me to his home in the burbs but, not before we had spent a night in the city.

Almost directly opposite the hotel was a well known pub where we enjoyed a 'slighty' boozy evening ending up in the company of some rather pleasant people. ;)

In the morning he drove me to his house where he served-up a phenomenal breakfast followed by lunch not long thereafter at a restaurant near his home and which was located on the edge of a small lake.

The following day he was on duty with the NSW Police where he freelanced and, together with his observer, exposed me to the Sydney-by-air experience.

A wonderfully down-to-earth, congenial and thoroughly pleasant chap who, I am sure, shall be sorely missed.

Safe journey dear friend.

S.

[piggybank]

Ref this link "http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=152&type=OceanographicSurveyShip" this is the ship that recovered the black box from the Adam Air crash off Sulawesi. Maybe this is what is needed right now in the search.

[Aser]

Engine failure likely cause of PNG chopper crash - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/16/3140798.htm?section=justin)

R.I.P. :(

Aser

[piggybank]

Well I read that news 'report' with some dismay. I would definitely like to see what we can get up from the depths for a full and proper investigation. The Squirrel has a good history, and the engine is a proven design with good record. The cost of getting the wreckage up will be high but if it prevents a future accident, can that really be considered expensive?

[gulliBell]

Locating and recovery of the aircraft from 700m water depth is likely to be well outside the capability of PNG resources. It will require external assistance. I hope the PNG Accident Investigation Board and ATSB can enlist appropriate assistance to recover the aircraft. From the above account of Lloyd's MAYDAY call he did not indicate the nature of the emergency, whether it was engine failure or some other type of malfunction.

[catseye]

Any updates on this accident. Is the wreck being recovered?

[Catwalk Dweller]

I understand that as of two days ago, no decision had yet been made whether a recovery attempt will be made or not.

[helihub]

Memorial to be held for Lloyd Lester, 57, feared dead in Papua New Guinea following a helicopter crash | Courier Mail (http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/memorial-to-be-held-for-lloyd-lester-57-feared-dead-in-papua-new-guinea-following-a-helicopter-crash/story-e6freon6-1226137093414)

A MEMORIAL will be held for a former Australian police officer feared dead in Papua New Guinea after officials issued a death certificate despite never finding the man’s body following a helicopter crash.

Lloyd Lester, 57, was listed as missing feared dead after the squirrel helicopter he was piloting ditched into the Bismark Sea in PNG on Feburary 13.

The former NSW police officer’s body has never been found.

He was working one week on, one week off shifts and would return to his father's holiday home at Golden Beach every fortnight when he crashed.

Mr Lester frequented the Caloundra RSL when he was home from his job as a helicopter pilot in PNG.

Retired NSW Police officer John King said now that a death certificate had been issued, a memorial service would be held with friends and family.

The memorial is scheduled to be held at the Gregson and Weight Funeral Home in Caloundra on September 23 at 11am, followed by drinks in Mr Lester’s honour at the Caloundra RSL club.

Mr Lester had previously served with the NSW Police Air Wing as a pilot until the early 1990’s, and was among the police who helped search for murdered 9-year-old Ebony Simpson in 1992.

Mr Lester's mayday call in February was a calm, collected one, according to contributors to the Professional Pilot's Rumour Network web forum.

His last words were: “We’re going in.”

Part of the helicopter's blade was discovered, along with a life raft that was not deployed.

A search and rescue operation was called off about a week after Mr Lester crashed.

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2011/02/20/1226009/049682-lester.jpg

[BigEars00]

Thank you very much for posting up the details. I'm looking forward to meeting those of Dad's friends/colleagues who are able to make it on Friday to have a good laugh in his honour.:ok: