Squirrel down in Switzerland

[HeliStudent]

Four people – the pilot and three passengers - were killed in a helicopter crash in the southern canton of Ticino on Saturday morning. Two other people who had been on board managed to get out beforehand.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/media/cms/images/null/2013/06/47110a2d_0974_46a1_8db4_8042d86026a2_1_-36310614.jpg

http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2013/06/29/09/03/y9ntQ.AuSt.55.jpeg

The helicopter, belonging to the private Ticino-based company Heli TV, came down near a granite quarry at the village of Lodrino about 25 kilometres north of the cantonal capital, Bellinzona. The occupants, all local residents, died on the spot.

Fatal accident: Four killed in helicopter crash - swissinfo.ch (http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Four_killed_in_helicopter_crash.html?cid=36310630)

[African Eagle]

RIP :(

As always - the AS350 cabin disintegrates!

[warmkiter]

Strange story..

Local press reported that the aircraft loaded/unloaded in hover and the mainrotor touched a rockwall nearby.

The "flughelfer" Flight assistant managed to jump off and pull one passanger out before the aircraft gained altitude again.

During approach to lodrino heli lost control and rolled over. Flight from collision point at Iragna to homebase Lodrino is only a couple minutes.

Many points are very strange....after the mainrotor hits something else than air its time to land immediately!

[MightyGem]

its time to land immediately
Usually without having any choice in the matter.

[heliduck]

Terrible outcome, gutwrenching photo.
If there was a main rotor strike then that discussion belongs in the realm of pilot error, not many helicopters fling themselves against fixed objects. Regarding the events which occurred AFTER the alleged rotor strike, before we continue the previous speculation that the pilot did the wrong thing by flying to a location a few minutes away after a main rotor strike, why don't we assume that he/she had nowhere safe to land(otherwise why the hover exit?) & he/she was doing the best they could to provide a safe outcome for themselves & everyone else on board. Is it better to land immediately after a main rotor strike & guarantee the destruction of the aircraft & possible death to all onboard, or TRY to get to an area where it is POSSIBLE to get the aircraft down at least partially intact & maybe save some of the lives onboard? I don't know the answer but I guess any split second decision would be made based on the aircraft behaviour at the time. Hindsight is a wonderfull perspective to have. Terrible that it didn't work out.

[jymil]

Absolutely unnecessary loss of life if the newspaper story is correct. They set up a proper landing site on the Alpe, but for convenience this guy tried to get a little closer to the cabin and drop off passengers in the hover. So there was a usable landing site in very close proximity to put the machine down, no need to fly back to base.

[haihio]

Very sad news, condolences to all involved.
Unfortunately it's the second fatal crash in less than 12 months for Heli TV.

[alouette]

Another Squirrel crash was just reported...this time near Erstfeld. All occupants deceased. Not a good start into this week...:{

[HeliStudent]

http://v2.suedostschweiz.ch/var/upload/news/image/189215_630x420.jpg (http://v2.suedostschweiz.ch/var/upload/news/image/189215_640.jpg)

[alouette]

That's the one... :{

[Anthony Supplebottom]

What misery for the Swiss helicopter community these past few days. My condolences.

[alouette]

Disintegrates?!? The cabin burned to ashes...

[Gemini Twin]

As always - the AS350 cabin disintegrates!

AE, How do you know that the rescue crews didn't cut away the cabin to remove the victims?

[500guy]

Gemini
Very likely, rescuers removed the canopy to extricate the bodies.
If the cabin had held its shape they would not have had to.

The top picture looks to be from before it was cut away.
R.I.P.

[henra]

As always, the AS350 cabin disintegrates.

Looking at the general level of destruction in both cases (especially in the second one) it is pretty safe to assume that at least in these two instances that didn't make any relevant difference to the outcome.

[DirtDiver]

RIP
Black day for swiss helicopter aviation :(