Heli down - Devon
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Heli down - Devon
Anyone know about this?
BBC News - One person injured in helicopter crash in Newton Abbot
One person has been injured in a helicopter crash in Devon. It is thought that the light helicopter hit power lines in the accident, in the the Poundsgate area of Newton Abbot.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to the scene at 1748 BST. They are absorbing fuel spilled from the aircraft.
The power lines have been switched off and the injured person has been taken to hospital. No-one else was involved in the crash.
BBC News - One person injured in helicopter crash in Newton Abbot
One person has been injured in a helicopter crash in Devon. It is thought that the light helicopter hit power lines in the accident, in the the Poundsgate area of Newton Abbot.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to the scene at 1748 BST. They are absorbing fuel spilled from the aircraft.
The power lines have been switched off and the injured person has been taken to hospital. No-one else was involved in the crash.
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thanks...
... pretty machine ... seen it around.
news passed to friends who had asked me .. thank you.
(60% of wire strikes are into wires that the pilot knew were there..... )
news passed to friends who had asked me .. thank you.
(60% of wire strikes are into wires that the pilot knew were there..... )
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Pilot escapes with minor injuries after helicopter crashes next to Devon pub | Mail Online
That nearly WAS last orders: Pilot escapes with minor injuries after helicopter crashes next to village pub
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 7:20 PM on 25th May 2010
A pilot had a miracle escape after he lost control of his helicopter and flew into power lines before crashing in a field just yards from a village pub
The man was flying low over Poundsgate, near Newton Abbott, Devon when he was heard careering into a series of overheard electric cables.
Onlookers heard a loud bang as the helicopter touched the power lines which ripped the rotors off.
The Hughes 500 came hurtling down into a field in a shower of sparks with fuel leaking from the tank.
The crashed helicopter lies in a field near Newton Abbott after its pilot hit power cables. Miraculously nobody was seriously hurt in the crash
But incredibly the pilot was able to scramble free from the wreckage and was airlifted to hospital with minor injuries after the accident early yesterday evening.
June Hamill, landlady of the local Tavistock Inn, said: 'I heard a helicopter come across and it was a bit low and hit the power cables and disintegrated.
'It was a big bang and as it hit the power cables the rotaries came off and landed everywhere, and the helicopter just tipped into the field.
'The paramedics pulled him out and saw to his wounds, then the air ambulance, fire engines and police cars all came up soon afterwards.
The stricken helicopter can be seen in the field, circled, just yards from the Tavistock Inn in Poundsgate, Devon
'He had a big cut on his head and other cuts but he was sitting in a chair and they kept him talking.'
The pilot, of Exeter, Devon, survived and was treated for minor injuries at the scene before being airlifted to hospital.
Emergency services who attended the scene switched off the power lines and closed a nearby road while debris was cleared away.
A police spokesman said: 'When police arrived a helicopter was found to have collided with power lines with the aircraft hitting the ground in a field, suffering severe damage and was lying on its side.
'The pilot was treated for minor injuries at the scene and taken to hospital by air ambulance. Nobody else was involved in the incident.'
The wreckage of the helicopter remained in the field today and the incident has been reported to the Air Accident Investigation Branch.
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 7:20 PM on 25th May 2010
A pilot had a miracle escape after he lost control of his helicopter and flew into power lines before crashing in a field just yards from a village pub
The man was flying low over Poundsgate, near Newton Abbott, Devon when he was heard careering into a series of overheard electric cables.
Onlookers heard a loud bang as the helicopter touched the power lines which ripped the rotors off.
The Hughes 500 came hurtling down into a field in a shower of sparks with fuel leaking from the tank.
The crashed helicopter lies in a field near Newton Abbott after its pilot hit power cables. Miraculously nobody was seriously hurt in the crash
But incredibly the pilot was able to scramble free from the wreckage and was airlifted to hospital with minor injuries after the accident early yesterday evening.
June Hamill, landlady of the local Tavistock Inn, said: 'I heard a helicopter come across and it was a bit low and hit the power cables and disintegrated.
'It was a big bang and as it hit the power cables the rotaries came off and landed everywhere, and the helicopter just tipped into the field.
'The paramedics pulled him out and saw to his wounds, then the air ambulance, fire engines and police cars all came up soon afterwards.
The stricken helicopter can be seen in the field, circled, just yards from the Tavistock Inn in Poundsgate, Devon
'He had a big cut on his head and other cuts but he was sitting in a chair and they kept him talking.'
The pilot, of Exeter, Devon, survived and was treated for minor injuries at the scene before being airlifted to hospital.
Emergency services who attended the scene switched off the power lines and closed a nearby road while debris was cleared away.
A police spokesman said: 'When police arrived a helicopter was found to have collided with power lines with the aircraft hitting the ground in a field, suffering severe damage and was lying on its side.
'The pilot was treated for minor injuries at the scene and taken to hospital by air ambulance. Nobody else was involved in the incident.'
The wreckage of the helicopter remained in the field today and the incident has been reported to the Air Accident Investigation Branch.
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That would be the 180° rotated 'p' at the end of 'surround'.
'There but for the grace of God go I.'
Sometimes it's easier to see things from the ground than from the air, like those lengths of D10 wire strung over the German countryside and the recently highlighted netting wires on sports pitches. Lets not forget the ever growing amount of aesthetically pleasing green wires we now have in the countryside.
Lady luck didn't pop down to Newton Abbot that day for a swift half, yet Mr Hindsight turned up to the party pretty sharpish.
Glad to see it wasn't more serious.
'There but for the grace of God go I.'
Sometimes it's easier to see things from the ground than from the air, like those lengths of D10 wire strung over the German countryside and the recently highlighted netting wires on sports pitches. Lets not forget the ever growing amount of aesthetically pleasing green wires we now have in the countryside.
Lady luck didn't pop down to Newton Abbot that day for a swift half, yet Mr Hindsight turned up to the party pretty sharpish.
Glad to see it wasn't more serious.
Lost its rotaries, nasty.
Fuel leaking, strange as fuel bags are under floor, (unless there is a Fargo tank) there does not appear to be damage to belly panels
"But incredibly the pilot was able to scramble free from the wreckage"
"The paramedics pulled him out and saw to his wounds"
Where is the proof reader ? either he scrambled from wreck, or was pulled out.
Fuel leaking, strange as fuel bags are under floor, (unless there is a Fargo tank) there does not appear to be damage to belly panels
"But incredibly the pilot was able to scramble free from the wreckage"
"The paramedics pulled him out and saw to his wounds"
Where is the proof reader ? either he scrambled from wreck, or was pulled out.
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From the Exeter Express & Echo
'I just can't believe that I'm still alive' - pilot thrown about like a rag doll
HELICOPTER pilot Jerry Dunn has said he is "lucky to be alive" after walking away from a horror crash.
Mr Dunn, 70, escaped with only minor injuries after his McDonnell Douglas 500 helicopter collided with power lines and crashed.
And the experienced pilot from Longdown, near Exeter, insists he will be back in the air within months.
He said: "I feel lucky to be alive.
"This particular model of helicopter has an A-frame inside and that is what saved my life. It was like a cocoon. If it had been another type of helicopter I may not be here."
His helicopter crashed near Poundsgate, Dartmoor, near Newton Abbot, at about 5.40pm on Monday.
He said: "The tail came off, and the rotors. I was flying to pick some people up. I have been to that place loads of times but there was a north-east wind so I had to come down a different way.
"There was a gap but I did not see the wires."
Grandfather Mr Dunn, who lives with his wife Pat, 61, suffered two cracked ribs, lacerations to his head, a large cut to the back of his head and bruising.
"I dropped 40ft," he said. " The electricity wires were like a bungee. They extended and then it was like a catapult. It sent me backwards and rolled me several times before hitting the deck. I was like a rag doll inside.
"I was very lucky to come out of it alive. I tried to pull up but it all happened so fast.
"I was also concerned that the aircraft was going to blow up and catch fire. Luckily part of the helicopter had snapped off and blocked the fuel line. Somebody up there must have been watching."
Mr Dunn, who has been flying for 20 years, said he has never been in an accident before.
He said 95 per cent of helicopter crashes were due to pilot error.
He added: "I will be back up again in a couple of months."
Ron Doe, 70, witnessed the crash as he waited to be picked up for a flight in the helicopter.
Mr Doe, who is from Brighton but was on holiday in Torbay, helped the dazed and injured pilot from the chopper.
It crashed in a field opposite the Tavistock Inn, in Poundsgate.
Mr Doe and his wife were due to go on a pleasure flight with pilot Mark Wilkinson, who was going to take over flying the chopper, when the drama unfolded above them.
He said: "The helicopter hit power lines. It was like fireworks going off.
"We were standing with Mark who was going to take us out for a flight.
"We knew the pilot, Jerry, was due in about 5.30pm and were waiting for him."
He revealed: "The helicopter came in a bit low over the trees which obscured the power cables.
"The trees are green and the power cables are green.
"As he tipped the nose down the front caught the cables. For a moment I thought he was going to break free because one of the cables broke, but then he went down.
"He came in as if it was a normal flight. Mark realised he was coming in too low and ran down the field trying to tell him."
He added: "There were sparks and flashes all over the place. Once it tipped him off he cart-wheeled down the field. It looked like fireworks going off. It was lucky he missed us all.
"Some of the bits of the helicopter flew over the hedge into the road."
Mr Doe was just 40 feet away as the helicopter hit the ground.
"We ran to the helicopter and got the door open.
"He was bleeding pretty badly," said Mr Doe.
"We got him out. I put my handkerchief over the cut on his head but he was bleeding through that. It was really scary.
"I have never felt better than when I looked at him and he was looking back at me smiling.
"It was really scary. My wife is very shaken up by what she saw.
"But it has all turned out all right in the end, apart from the helicopter.
"I really must convey my thanks to the emergency services. It does not seem like there was any time between the crash and the ambulance, police and fire service arriving on the scene. They did a great job."
About 150 homes lost their electricity because of damage caused to the cables.
Workers for Western Power Distribution restored power by midnight.
Nobody else was involved in the incident, which has been reported to the Air Accident Investigation Branch.
In a statement a spokesman said: "We are investigating through correspondence with the pilot."
'I just can't believe that I'm still alive' - pilot thrown about like a rag doll
HELICOPTER pilot Jerry Dunn has said he is "lucky to be alive" after walking away from a horror crash.
Mr Dunn, 70, escaped with only minor injuries after his McDonnell Douglas 500 helicopter collided with power lines and crashed.
And the experienced pilot from Longdown, near Exeter, insists he will be back in the air within months.
He said: "I feel lucky to be alive.
"This particular model of helicopter has an A-frame inside and that is what saved my life. It was like a cocoon. If it had been another type of helicopter I may not be here."
His helicopter crashed near Poundsgate, Dartmoor, near Newton Abbot, at about 5.40pm on Monday.
He said: "The tail came off, and the rotors. I was flying to pick some people up. I have been to that place loads of times but there was a north-east wind so I had to come down a different way.
"There was a gap but I did not see the wires."
Grandfather Mr Dunn, who lives with his wife Pat, 61, suffered two cracked ribs, lacerations to his head, a large cut to the back of his head and bruising.
"I dropped 40ft," he said. " The electricity wires were like a bungee. They extended and then it was like a catapult. It sent me backwards and rolled me several times before hitting the deck. I was like a rag doll inside.
"I was very lucky to come out of it alive. I tried to pull up but it all happened so fast.
"I was also concerned that the aircraft was going to blow up and catch fire. Luckily part of the helicopter had snapped off and blocked the fuel line. Somebody up there must have been watching."
Mr Dunn, who has been flying for 20 years, said he has never been in an accident before.
He said 95 per cent of helicopter crashes were due to pilot error.
He added: "I will be back up again in a couple of months."
Ron Doe, 70, witnessed the crash as he waited to be picked up for a flight in the helicopter.
Mr Doe, who is from Brighton but was on holiday in Torbay, helped the dazed and injured pilot from the chopper.
It crashed in a field opposite the Tavistock Inn, in Poundsgate.
Mr Doe and his wife were due to go on a pleasure flight with pilot Mark Wilkinson, who was going to take over flying the chopper, when the drama unfolded above them.
He said: "The helicopter hit power lines. It was like fireworks going off.
"We were standing with Mark who was going to take us out for a flight.
"We knew the pilot, Jerry, was due in about 5.30pm and were waiting for him."
He revealed: "The helicopter came in a bit low over the trees which obscured the power cables.
"The trees are green and the power cables are green.
"As he tipped the nose down the front caught the cables. For a moment I thought he was going to break free because one of the cables broke, but then he went down.
"He came in as if it was a normal flight. Mark realised he was coming in too low and ran down the field trying to tell him."
He added: "There were sparks and flashes all over the place. Once it tipped him off he cart-wheeled down the field. It looked like fireworks going off. It was lucky he missed us all.
"Some of the bits of the helicopter flew over the hedge into the road."
Mr Doe was just 40 feet away as the helicopter hit the ground.
"We ran to the helicopter and got the door open.
"He was bleeding pretty badly," said Mr Doe.
"We got him out. I put my handkerchief over the cut on his head but he was bleeding through that. It was really scary.
"I have never felt better than when I looked at him and he was looking back at me smiling.
"It was really scary. My wife is very shaken up by what she saw.
"But it has all turned out all right in the end, apart from the helicopter.
"I really must convey my thanks to the emergency services. It does not seem like there was any time between the crash and the ambulance, police and fire service arriving on the scene. They did a great job."
About 150 homes lost their electricity because of damage caused to the cables.
Workers for Western Power Distribution restored power by midnight.
Nobody else was involved in the incident, which has been reported to the Air Accident Investigation Branch.
In a statement a spokesman said: "We are investigating through correspondence with the pilot."
I loaded the wreck on to a trailer this evening. All fuel had leaked out , all landing gear dampers had sheared off. Blades had taken doghouse and tailboom clean off. Rotor head had failed on the actual casting, all blade pins intact ! The actual A frame completly intact. As loss adjuster said pilot would be dead in any other type of light heli. I now have even more faith in the machine, hats off to the 3 designers who designed this in the 1960's
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I think the article Robin has posted highlights a lot of potential Emmental slices, which should make the report an interesting read.
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Just for clarification, it looks from Google Earth that the overhead line he struck was a four wire, in vertical formation, 415/240V line, that runs across the southern end of the field he was landing on. (though the height quoted as 40ft is a bit high except for pylon lines, 20ft would be more accurate).
The reason for the "green wires" is the natural oxidation of copper wires, as new they would have been nice and shiny copper colour, but over the years they turn to green
Why does copper turn green?
The reason for the "green wires" is the natural oxidation of copper wires, as new they would have been nice and shiny copper colour, but over the years they turn to green
Why does copper turn green?
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That's weird west lakes. How come most of the wires in the countryside and all of the wires out of the countryside just turn a dirty dark?
Sorry, couldn't find a smart link for "Why do power cables in the countryside get a green coloured sheath?"
Sorry, couldn't find a smart link for "Why do power cables in the countryside get a green coloured sheath?"
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Some could be aluminium which turns a dull grey, from above copper doesn't look green, it's only when close up you can see the colour!
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Hughes
Ah that would be either 11 or 6.6kV, thinner wires and harder to spot, though that is unusually high!
Ah that would be either 11 or 6.6kV, thinner wires and harder to spot, though that is unusually high!
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Smartlink coming up;
If the wires were/are green, it is because they have a green sheath.
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Some stuff put up in the 60's had a green PVC sheath, but it was not used everywhere, looking at the HV line at the north end of the field it looks to be bare conductor, I would suggest witnesses saw the wires close up and could see the green oxidation
Looking from the east, powerline is above the white (fenceline) in the center
Street view
From the north
Looking from the east, powerline is above the white (fenceline) in the center
Street view
From the north
