|
Belgian Army helicopter pilot falls out in flight.
Apparently a Belgian Army helicopter pilot fell from his aircraft during a parachute drop near Liège.
Belgian military pilot falls from helicopter during airshow - BBC News |
From the Belgian Defence News yesterday:
A pilot falls from a military helicopter in flight Sunday in amay One of the two pilots who were at the beginning of the afternoon on board a a-109 military helicopter, fell from the aircraft. The accident occurred during the open day of a special unit, specifically during a skydiving demonstration. According to our information, co-Piolote would have taken over the controls and placed the device. The research is under way. There is currently no information on the pilot. The ground research area is very wide. The aircraft had just performed a demonstration of parachutage during the open day of the 4TH ENGINEERING BATTALION IN AMAY (province of liège). At the time of the incident, the two pilots were alone aboard the helicopter. The precise circumstances of the accident are not yet known. The man has fallen from the helicopter while this one appears to be at an altitude of several hundred metres. He wasn't wearing a parachute. Neither the fire department nor the police, contacted by the agence agency, wished to communicate this information. Source: Belgian |
De Telegraaf is reporting the his body has been found.
|
I wonder if he was still strapped to his seat.
|
Belgian army pilot in fatal leap from helicopter cockpit
A military pilot who fell to his death from his helicopter had recently separated from his wife and two young children, Belgian media have reported. Vincent Valkenberg, 34, is suspected of having waited until his co-pilot was out of the way before jumping from the cockpit door during a flight on Sunday. The co-pilot was supervising three army parachutists jumping from the aircraft as part of a display. The helicopter lurched suddenly and he saw that Captain Valkenberg’s seat was empty and the cockpit door was wide open. He grabbed the controls and landed safely “without problems”, according to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Paul Hames, his commander. The pilot fell hundreds of metres from the Agusta A109, which was flying over a heavily wooded area near Belgium’s Tihange nuclear reactor. His body was recovered yesterday in a wooded area of the Meuse river valley after overnight searches by police helicopters with thermal-imaging cameras. Suicide is the main theory in the investigation, with all indications being that the pilot voluntarily jumped after taking advantage of the brief moment when his colleague was watching the paratroopers. Helicopter pilots are not equipped with parachutes. The broadcaster RTL reported details of his marital difficulties. |
How sad... :(
|
How awful - poor chap. :(
|
Originally Posted by NickB
(Post 9882735)
How awful - poor chap. :(
I AM aware that a suicide's mind is usually disturbed at the time of the deed. In a former airline one of our MT drivers was used as the means of execution on, IIRC, the M74. Fortunately he could discuss the event which I thought a psychologically 'good thing'. |
A tragic event for all concerned.
I have to say, a selfish thing, to include others in the tragedy in such a way. |
Clearly a troubled person to take that course of action, if indeed it was suicide as seems likley. But unforgivably cruel, selfish and dangerous to put his colleague in danger in that way.
I hope that the surviving pilot is able to get beyond this horrific experience. |
Happens to uk train drivers almost weekly. An acquaintance gave the job up after his second jumper.
|
Originally Posted by ShyTorque
(Post 9883025)
A tragic event for all concerned.
I have to say, a selfish thing, to include others in the tragedy in such a way. |
Very selfish and narcisstic |
Years ago we had a fatality at (name witheld). Long afterward a lady appealed (on PPRuNe) for anyone with knowledge of the incident. Seems she had just broken off her engagement to the young man, and she was concerned that he might have taken his own life in consequence.
I was the ATC Watch Supervisor at the time, and was able to reassure her on PM that in the circumstances, it was clearly an accident, he did not suffer and there was no fire. I hope I was able to put that worry out of her mind. |
Two men in the helicopter... one returns...... only one version..... just saying....
|
Two men in the helicopter... one returns...... only one version..... just saying.... |
Originally Posted by Herod
(Post 9884710)
Only when seen from the outside. Those committing the act see it as the only way out.
|
We had a jumper, but from a building not an a/c. Young bloke was advised by his girlfriend that she was pregnant, so he did the decent thing and got down on one knee, not only did she decline his proposal but she also told him that their relationship was over. He went up to the 6th floor and jumped, his body was still on the ground as I drove past it coming into work.
I have known some amazing and beautiful women in my time, but not one that I would kill myself over. |
It's not the first and won't be the last time:
https://ssristories.org/miami-dade-p...-miami-herald/ Pilot 'jumped from plane and committed suicide' in Canada | Daily Mail Online https://blogs.harvard.edu/ethicalesq...henectady-man/ Remember..there is always a story. |
None of us know how it feels to be that low. You can't apply standard reasoning to someone in that state.
Give a thought for his kids too who may in the future stumble upon this thread. Do they need to read negative comments from uninformed bystanders? |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 06:54. |
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.