Another R44 bites the dust, USA this time!!
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A student helicopter pilot, making his first solo flight Monday morning, crashed soon after take-off at Covington Municipal Airport, and survived.
The pilot was in critical condition as of Monday afternoon. The helicopter was destroyed.
"This was a solo flight, the first solo flight for this pilot," said Covington Fire Department Captain Rob Christopher. "And after lift-off, apparently he possibly panicked, and he lost control of the aircraft, which was shortly after take-off."
Capt. Christopher identified the pilot as David Powell. Christopher said Powell is middle-aged, married with children, and lives in the Covington area.
Powell had about 60 hours of helicopter training, according to his instructor, Rob Carroll, of Blue Ridge Helicopter, Inc.
Carroll said Powell was flying a Robinson R44 Raven II, and immediately after taking off from the flight school, which is located at the airport, the helicopter started gyrating.
Carroll said Powell was struggling to control the gyrating helicopter as it moved horizontally, at an altitude of about 75 feet. Then, when the helicopter was above a small field on airport property near the flight school, Carroll said of Powell, "He panicked, and lost control," and the helicopter flipped upside down and dropped to the ground.
Lizzie Starr lives in a home across the street from the field, and heard the crash.
"What I heard was just like a truck was cutting off or trying to crank up," Starr said, "like it was trying to crank back up. And then, after that, I heard, 'Bam-a-lam!' Just like that."
Starr's niece, Yeoneatha Williams, who lives with Starr, saw rescuers arrive almost immediately to pull Powell out.
"I just saw smoke coming from the back" of the helicopter, Williams said. "We just seen him, when they pulled him out of the [helicopter], they put him on a stretcher and I guess they asked him, you know, could he move his fingers and hands. So we saw him move his fingers, and we saw him move his hands, and we were like, 'Praise the Lord, he’s all right.'"
Powell crashed near the airport headquarters of the EMS crews from Rescue Air One. Within a minute, an EMS rescuer and a registered nurse were pulling Powell out of the wreckage, administering first aid, placing him on a stretcher, and boarding him onto their helicopter for the flight to Atlanta Medical Center.
Capt. Christopher said Powell was conscious, and appeared, to first responders, to have a head injury.
"I don't know, it just scared me to death," Starr said. "I mean, he could have fell on some of these houses, or something like that."
Williams said residents of the neighborhood next to the airport are "constantly worried" about aircraft crashing into their homes.
"Thank God," she said repeatedly, that no one was hurt and the pilot survived.
The FAA and NTSB sent investigators to the crash site Monday afternoon.
The pilot was in critical condition as of Monday afternoon. The helicopter was destroyed.
"This was a solo flight, the first solo flight for this pilot," said Covington Fire Department Captain Rob Christopher. "And after lift-off, apparently he possibly panicked, and he lost control of the aircraft, which was shortly after take-off."
Capt. Christopher identified the pilot as David Powell. Christopher said Powell is middle-aged, married with children, and lives in the Covington area.
Powell had about 60 hours of helicopter training, according to his instructor, Rob Carroll, of Blue Ridge Helicopter, Inc.
Carroll said Powell was flying a Robinson R44 Raven II, and immediately after taking off from the flight school, which is located at the airport, the helicopter started gyrating.
Carroll said Powell was struggling to control the gyrating helicopter as it moved horizontally, at an altitude of about 75 feet. Then, when the helicopter was above a small field on airport property near the flight school, Carroll said of Powell, "He panicked, and lost control," and the helicopter flipped upside down and dropped to the ground.
Lizzie Starr lives in a home across the street from the field, and heard the crash.
"What I heard was just like a truck was cutting off or trying to crank up," Starr said, "like it was trying to crank back up. And then, after that, I heard, 'Bam-a-lam!' Just like that."
Starr's niece, Yeoneatha Williams, who lives with Starr, saw rescuers arrive almost immediately to pull Powell out.
"I just saw smoke coming from the back" of the helicopter, Williams said. "We just seen him, when they pulled him out of the [helicopter], they put him on a stretcher and I guess they asked him, you know, could he move his fingers and hands. So we saw him move his fingers, and we saw him move his hands, and we were like, 'Praise the Lord, he’s all right.'"
Powell crashed near the airport headquarters of the EMS crews from Rescue Air One. Within a minute, an EMS rescuer and a registered nurse were pulling Powell out of the wreckage, administering first aid, placing him on a stretcher, and boarding him onto their helicopter for the flight to Atlanta Medical Center.
Capt. Christopher said Powell was conscious, and appeared, to first responders, to have a head injury.
"I don't know, it just scared me to death," Starr said. "I mean, he could have fell on some of these houses, or something like that."
Williams said residents of the neighborhood next to the airport are "constantly worried" about aircraft crashing into their homes.
"Thank God," she said repeatedly, that no one was hurt and the pilot survived.
The FAA and NTSB sent investigators to the crash site Monday afternoon.
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Helmets
I saw an instructor in Melbourne getting out of a H269(300) with a helmet. I think the sequence was autos'.
Makes sense in a high risk environment. Like a thread I read recently about wearing hearing protection was considered wimpy years ago, now you can be sacked in the mining industry if you get sun-burnt three times.
Times change...
I feel sorry for the instructor who sent this guy solo, a few questions to answer, but he's just doing what he felt was right.
Makes sense in a high risk environment. Like a thread I read recently about wearing hearing protection was considered wimpy years ago, now you can be sacked in the mining industry if you get sun-burnt three times.
Times change...
I feel sorry for the instructor who sent this guy solo, a few questions to answer, but he's just doing what he felt was right.
Williams said residents of the neighborhood next to the airport are "constantly worried" about aircraft crashing into their homes.
best wishes for his recovery though
Join Date: Apr 2006
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My thoughts are with David's wife and children and I wish him a speedy recovery.
It's so nice to see David's fellow rotorheads wishing him well.....oh, my mistake, they're not!!
(apart from rotorrookie!)
It's so nice to see David's fellow rotorheads wishing him well.....oh, my mistake, they're not!!
(apart from rotorrookie!)
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Come on guys! The pilot survived. That's surely all that matters.
Thank yourselves that this is not a condolences thread.
And thank whichever god you want to believe in that it wasn't you.
There but for the grace of..........
Thank yourselves that this is not a condolences thread.
And thank whichever god you want to believe in that it wasn't you.
There but for the grace of..........
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The pilot was in critical condition as of Monday afternoon.
Hope he makes a full recovery from his head injury.
FL
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I agree with Mickjoebill, i remember an instructor who used to wear one in an H300, looked a little silly, but you have to ask yourself.....
It needs to be up to the individual, however there is maybe a little stigma attached to wearing a bonedome in certain machines, but if this stigma went, would more people wear one..... and maybe do themselves a favour if the worst were to happen.
Rushes
It needs to be up to the individual, however there is maybe a little stigma attached to wearing a bonedome in certain machines, but if this stigma went, would more people wear one..... and maybe do themselves a favour if the worst were to happen.
Rushes
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All our instructors wore helmets during my training in 300s and 206s. They encouraged us to buy them and all the students did. I know they look a bit nerdy in a small machine but who cares - they were comfortable and could save your head.
