Ditching off Brisbane
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Joined: Mar 2000
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From: UK
Ditching off Brisbane
From the Sydney Morning Herald
A helicopter pilot has told rescuers he had just moments to perform an emergency landing in the sea near Moreton Island, off Brisbane, after an engine malfunction.
Moreton Island Helicopters pilot Simon Davies ditched his Bell 47 helicopter one kilometre north-west of Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort before swimming from the sinking craft just before midday on Wednesday.
He was taken to the resort, on Moreton Island, where he received medical attention for a minor leg injury.
Mr Davies was the only person in the helicopter.
Tangalooma resort manager, Trevor Hassard, said Mr Davies' rescue began immediately after guests at the resort witnessed the crash.
"Some guests all saw the helicopter when it was returning from Caboolture and it crashed into the water," Mr Hassard told AAP.
"I whipped my shoes off and jumped into one of the boats down at the front of the resort and the Queensland Ambulance Service driver and myself went out."
Mr Hassard said Mr Davies was rescued near to where the helicopter had sunk in shallow water.
He said Mr Davies told him the helicopter's engine had malfunctioned.
"He said that he lost power, the machine would no longer fly. So he did an auto-rotation landing and he landed on the water and stepped out of the craft and swam and then it sank beside him," Mr Hassard said.
A police spokeswoman said it was not known yet whether police or the Civil Aviation Safety Authority would head the investigation into the incident.
Moreton Island Helicopters pilot Simon Davies ditched his Bell 47 helicopter one kilometre north-west of Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort before swimming from the sinking craft just before midday on Wednesday.
He was taken to the resort, on Moreton Island, where he received medical attention for a minor leg injury.
Mr Davies was the only person in the helicopter.
Tangalooma resort manager, Trevor Hassard, said Mr Davies' rescue began immediately after guests at the resort witnessed the crash.
"Some guests all saw the helicopter when it was returning from Caboolture and it crashed into the water," Mr Hassard told AAP.
"I whipped my shoes off and jumped into one of the boats down at the front of the resort and the Queensland Ambulance Service driver and myself went out."
Mr Hassard said Mr Davies was rescued near to where the helicopter had sunk in shallow water.
He said Mr Davies told him the helicopter's engine had malfunctioned.
"He said that he lost power, the machine would no longer fly. So he did an auto-rotation landing and he landed on the water and stepped out of the craft and swam and then it sank beside him," Mr Hassard said.
A police spokeswoman said it was not known yet whether police or the Civil Aviation Safety Authority would head the investigation into the incident.
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,957
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From: Australia
Hmm, I'm sure this is all the owner needs at this point...
Very sharpish of Mr Heliport to pick this snippet up from the antipodes, if I do say so.
