Heliport
20th Apr 2003, 21:41
BBC report
A helicopter carrying a group of skiers has crashed in the Alps in north-western Italy, killing six people.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39116000/gif/_39116493_italy_france_203map.gif
Local officials said it hit the side of a mountain in the Sestriere region, close to the French border.
According to Italian state television, the helicopter lost control in thick fog at an altitude of 3,000 metres (about 10,000 feet).
Four Italian skiers, the pilot and a guide were killed, while another person was seriously injured in the crash.
Darkness and bad weather has forced rescue teams to suspend operations to recover the bodies of the dead. The search for the missing guide will resume at first light on Easter Sunday.
Investigation
The helicopter had been flying skiers to mountains west of Turin.
Police said they had also lost radio contact with another experienced mountain guide who gave the first alert about the crash about midday local time.
Italy's National Flight Safety Agency said it had opened an investigation into the incident.
The helicopter belonged to the Air Service Centre company, which transports skiers to the mountains and also offers flight-training programmes.
Local judicial officials said there appeared to be a lack of coordination in organising ski excursion flights, according to the BBC correspondent.
A helicopter carrying a group of skiers has crashed in the Alps in north-western Italy, killing six people.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39116000/gif/_39116493_italy_france_203map.gif
Local officials said it hit the side of a mountain in the Sestriere region, close to the French border.
According to Italian state television, the helicopter lost control in thick fog at an altitude of 3,000 metres (about 10,000 feet).
Four Italian skiers, the pilot and a guide were killed, while another person was seriously injured in the crash.
Darkness and bad weather has forced rescue teams to suspend operations to recover the bodies of the dead. The search for the missing guide will resume at first light on Easter Sunday.
Investigation
The helicopter had been flying skiers to mountains west of Turin.
Police said they had also lost radio contact with another experienced mountain guide who gave the first alert about the crash about midday local time.
Italy's National Flight Safety Agency said it had opened an investigation into the incident.
The helicopter belonged to the Air Service Centre company, which transports skiers to the mountains and also offers flight-training programmes.
Local judicial officials said there appeared to be a lack of coordination in organising ski excursion flights, according to the BBC correspondent.