North Sulawesi Helicopter missing
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North Sulawesi Helicopter missing
Chopper carrying Australians disappears in Indonesia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The Department of Foreign Affairs says it has been advised that two Australians were on board a helicopter that is believed to have crashed in Indonesia.
Search teams are looking for any trace of the helicopter, which disappeared over North Sulawesi province after taking off from the town of Manado.
A Foreign Affairs spokeswoman says the Australian Embassy in Jakarta is in contact with Newcrest Mining, which says two Australians are on the flight manifest.
Indonesia's search and rescue agency says the helicopter was carrying eight passengers and two crew.
Search teams are looking for any trace of the helicopter, which disappeared over North Sulawesi province after taking off from the town of Manado.
A Foreign Affairs spokeswoman says the Australian Embassy in Jakarta is in contact with Newcrest Mining, which says two Australians are on the flight manifest.
Indonesia's search and rescue agency says the helicopter was carrying eight passengers and two crew.
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FOUR Australians are among 10 people feared dead after their helicopter lost contact with airport authorities soon after takeoff and is believed to have crashed in eastern Indonesia.
The Bell 412 helicopter went missing over North Sulawesi province after leaving the town of Manado, search and rescue agency spokesman Gagah Prakoso said.
"We lost contact with the helicopter about 30 minutes after it took off from Manado. We suspect that it has crashed between Manado and Bitung," he said.
The aircraft left Manado around 2.30pm (1630 AEST) on Wednesday with eight passengers and two crew, Prakoso said.
"The search and rescue team has been trying to find them on land," he said.
The team called off its search after dark and will return to the area early Thursday morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Vafafe Bayu, a local police chief, told TVOne that six Indonesians and four Australians were on board the helicopter.
They apparently worked for a mining company in North Maluku.
Transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said the identity of the passengers could not be confirmed.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelagic nation of nearly 240 million, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings.
Overcrowding, aging infrastructure and poor safety standards are often to blame.
The Bell 412 helicopter went missing over North Sulawesi province after leaving the town of Manado, search and rescue agency spokesman Gagah Prakoso said.
"We lost contact with the helicopter about 30 minutes after it took off from Manado. We suspect that it has crashed between Manado and Bitung," he said.
The aircraft left Manado around 2.30pm (1630 AEST) on Wednesday with eight passengers and two crew, Prakoso said.
"The search and rescue team has been trying to find them on land," he said.
The team called off its search after dark and will return to the area early Thursday morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Vafafe Bayu, a local police chief, told TVOne that six Indonesians and four Australians were on board the helicopter.
They apparently worked for a mining company in North Maluku.
Transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said the identity of the passengers could not be confirmed.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelagic nation of nearly 240 million, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings.
Overcrowding, aging infrastructure and poor safety standards are often to blame.
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Manado
A Nyaman Air Bell 412 departed Manado en-route to Gosawong yesterday around 1500. (In company with he Nyaman Air DH 6).
About 20 mins into the flight contact was lost with the Helicopter.
There were ten people on board (including the crew). I have just been told one person has been found alive.
Very poor weather at the time.
Both aircraft are contracted to provide services to the newcrest Mine, based out of Gosawong.
About 20 mins into the flight contact was lost with the Helicopter.
There were ten people on board (including the crew). I have just been told one person has been found alive.
Very poor weather at the time.
Both aircraft are contracted to provide services to the newcrest Mine, based out of Gosawong.
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Furture Info
Woman found alive in chopper wreckage; two Aussies dead
RESCUERS say a woman has been found alive in the wreckage of a helicopter which crashed with Australians on board in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province.
Rescue teams reached the scene of the crash this morning, the ABC said.
Earlier Newcrest Mining advised the Department of Foreign Affairs that two Australians were among the 10 people on board, Sky News and the ABC said.
The helicopter had disappeared after taking off from the town of Manado. Indonesia's search and rescue agency said it was carrying eight passengers and two crew.
There were reports the Bell 412 had crashed into a mountain in North Sulawesi province, said Lucky Pondaag, an airport spokesman, adding that a search-and-rescue team had been deployed.
Eventually it became too dark to work, however, and the team decided to return early this morning.
Read more: Woman found alive in chopper wreckage; two Aussies dead | News.com.au
RESCUERS say a woman has been found alive in the wreckage of a helicopter which crashed with Australians on board in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province.
Rescue teams reached the scene of the crash this morning, the ABC said.
Earlier Newcrest Mining advised the Department of Foreign Affairs that two Australians were among the 10 people on board, Sky News and the ABC said.
The helicopter had disappeared after taking off from the town of Manado. Indonesia's search and rescue agency said it was carrying eight passengers and two crew.
There were reports the Bell 412 had crashed into a mountain in North Sulawesi province, said Lucky Pondaag, an airport spokesman, adding that a search-and-rescue team had been deployed.
Eventually it became too dark to work, however, and the team decided to return early this morning.
Read more: Woman found alive in chopper wreckage; two Aussies dead | News.com.au
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All 10 die in Indonesian helicopter crash
ALL10 people on board a helicopter that crashed in Indonesia are dead, after the sole survivor succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Two Australians residents, two South Africans and four Indonesians were passengers on the helicopter, chartered by Australian mining company Newcrest, which reports say slammed into a mountain in eastern Indonesia.
The eight Newcrest employees and contractors, plus two Indonesian crew members, were on board the helicopter flying to the Gosowong mine operated by Newcrest on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, the miner said today.
The Bell 412 helicopter lost contact with authorities yesterday afternoon minutes after take-off from the city of Manado on Sulawesi island, said Lucky Pondaag, an airport spokesman.
A search and rescue team discovered the wreckage near Manado about 2am local time today (5am AEST), said Ludianto, head of the search and rescue operations, who goes by only one name.
He said the only survivor found at the scene was an Indonesian who later died of his injuries at the hospital.
The bodies of the nine others had been transported to Manado.
It was not clear what caused the crash.
The helicopter was operated by PT Nyaman Air, chartered by PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals (PTNHM), a joint venture between Newcrest Mining Limited and PT Aneka Tambang, Newcrest said.
The helicopter was reported missing about 2.30pm local time yesterday.
It was found this morning after an extensive air and land search.
"Newcrest and Aneka Tambang expressed their deepest sadness and condolences to family, colleagues and friends of the passengers over this tragic event," Newcrest chief executive officer Greg Robinson said.
Most of the families of the passengers and crew were contacted overnight and advised that the helicopter was missing.
PTNHM president director Iwan Irawan was on his way to Manado. Senior Newcrest executives were travelling to Manado from Australia.
Work at the Gosowong mine has been suspended.
Two Australians residents, two South Africans and four Indonesians were passengers on the helicopter, chartered by Australian mining company Newcrest, which reports say slammed into a mountain in eastern Indonesia.
The eight Newcrest employees and contractors, plus two Indonesian crew members, were on board the helicopter flying to the Gosowong mine operated by Newcrest on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, the miner said today.
The Bell 412 helicopter lost contact with authorities yesterday afternoon minutes after take-off from the city of Manado on Sulawesi island, said Lucky Pondaag, an airport spokesman.
A search and rescue team discovered the wreckage near Manado about 2am local time today (5am AEST), said Ludianto, head of the search and rescue operations, who goes by only one name.
He said the only survivor found at the scene was an Indonesian who later died of his injuries at the hospital.
The bodies of the nine others had been transported to Manado.
It was not clear what caused the crash.
The helicopter was operated by PT Nyaman Air, chartered by PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals (PTNHM), a joint venture between Newcrest Mining Limited and PT Aneka Tambang, Newcrest said.
The helicopter was reported missing about 2.30pm local time yesterday.
It was found this morning after an extensive air and land search.
"Newcrest and Aneka Tambang expressed their deepest sadness and condolences to family, colleagues and friends of the passengers over this tragic event," Newcrest chief executive officer Greg Robinson said.
Most of the families of the passengers and crew were contacted overnight and advised that the helicopter was missing.
PTNHM president director Iwan Irawan was on his way to Manado. Senior Newcrest executives were travelling to Manado from Australia.
Work at the Gosowong mine has been suspended.
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Gullibell,
100% confirmed that the pilot was Indonesian. He worked with Bristow International for some time before coming back home. The engineer on board was also Indonesian.
Even though Nyaman is part of the Hevilift group, the pilot ratio of expats to nationals was 50/50. The DGCA required a greater percentage of national pilots, but it was not possible due to the shortage of qualifed pilots willing to return to Indonesia.
The Newcrest contract is a VFR single pilot operation. This is what the client asked for and received.
100% confirmed that the pilot was Indonesian. He worked with Bristow International for some time before coming back home. The engineer on board was also Indonesian.
Even though Nyaman is part of the Hevilift group, the pilot ratio of expats to nationals was 50/50. The DGCA required a greater percentage of national pilots, but it was not possible due to the shortage of qualifed pilots willing to return to Indonesia.
The Newcrest contract is a VFR single pilot operation. This is what the client asked for and received.
This is the second fatal Newcrest Mining charter helicopter accident this year, the other was in PNG last February...
I saw the accident scene on the Channel 10 TV news this evening...I couldn't recognize any of what was left of the helicopter as a B412. They've flown into tall trees in mountainous terrain and the outcome was awful.
I saw the accident scene on the Channel 10 TV news this evening...I couldn't recognize any of what was left of the helicopter as a B412. They've flown into tall trees in mountainous terrain and the outcome was awful.
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I knew that guy
That pilot was hired by Bristow, maybe in 2005, got kidnapped by the locals because he stepped outside to enjoy the fireworks (it was gunfire, but he didn't realize), was sent to our least-busy base in a corner of Africa where he was allowed to fly as left seat, left the company and apparently told his new employers he was a fully-qualified Bristow pilot and was promptly in over his head as single-pilot in a mountainous IFR environment.
If employers would vet every pilot before hiring we wouldn't now have to contend with posers in the international helicopter industry. This is a major problem, worldwide, as pilots from countries that can't train pilots to acceptable standards resort to P-51 time to make up the shortfall.
If employers would vet every pilot before hiring we wouldn't now have to contend with posers in the international helicopter industry. This is a major problem, worldwide, as pilots from countries that can't train pilots to acceptable standards resort to P-51 time to make up the shortfall.
