Ayers Rock helicopter crash
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Ayers Rock helicopter crash
Helicopter crashes near Ayers Rock
Emergency crews in Central Australia are responding to a helicopter crash near Yulara, close to Uluru.
The Health Department said four people were on board when the helicopter crashed at 6:30pm about 1.5km west of the tourist hub.
Three people are expected to be transferred to hospital and at least one has a suspected spinal injury.
A police spokeswoman told the ABC that no one was trapped in the wreckage and that one passenger was seriously injured.
The extent of the injuries to the other passengers is not yet known.
"It's a remote area that's not easy to get to," the spokeswoman said.
The emergency operation is likely to continue into the night, she said.
Medical clinic staff from Yulara are assisting at the scene, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service is on its way.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified of the incident, police said.
The Health Department said four people were on board when the helicopter crashed at 6:30pm about 1.5km west of the tourist hub.
Three people are expected to be transferred to hospital and at least one has a suspected spinal injury.
A police spokeswoman told the ABC that no one was trapped in the wreckage and that one passenger was seriously injured.
The extent of the injuries to the other passengers is not yet known.
"It's a remote area that's not easy to get to," the spokeswoman said.
The emergency operation is likely to continue into the night, she said.
Medical clinic staff from Yulara are assisting at the scene, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service is on its way.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified of the incident, police said.
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4 injured in crash at Uluru Australia
Crash happened 1830 local time. Pilot and one passenger with spinal injuries. Scenic flight around Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Northern Territory.
Helicopter crashes near Uluru with four people on board - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Blakmax
Helicopter crashes near Uluru with four people on board - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Blakmax
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Update:
Uluru helicopter crash leaves two serious
Uluru helicopter crash leaves two serious
A helicopter on a scenic flight lost rotor power and was forced into an emergency landing near Uluru, seriously injuring the pilot and one of three passengers.
The single-engine Robinson R44 came down hard in scrubland shortly after taking off on a sunset tour about 6pm on Wednesday at a remote site 1.5km west of Yulara and 800 metres into scrubland from the helipad.
"During climb, the pilot received a low rotor speed warning, entered an autorotation and conducted a forced landing on a sand dune," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is investigating, said in a statement on Thursday.
"The helicopter subsequently rolled, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and one passenger."
The 32-year-old pilot and a 32-year-old male passenger were airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where they both remained in a serious but stable condition with spinal and other injuries.
The other passengers, a 46-year-old woman and 35-year-old man, were treated for less serious injuries in the Alice Springs Hospital.
All three passengers are Australians.
Professional Helicopter Services, which operated the flight, said despite the pilot's best efforts to put down safely, the chopper slid down the dune and ended up on its side.
"Our immediate priority is for the welfare of our passengers and our pilot," the company said in a statement.
"Our local team worked closely with authorities to secure their rescue in difficult terrain and we are very proud of the way they handled what was a difficult and distressing situation."
The company said it had been running tourist operations at Uluru for 27 years and pledged to co-operate fully with investigations into the incident.
"The tourist operating community here is a tight-knit one and we are all in shock at what has occurred," a spokesman said.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the passengers involved in this incident and, of course, the pilot who is both our colleague and friend."
Northern Territory Police established a crime scene at the crash site as they waited for ATSB investigators to arrive.
The ATSB said it would interview the pilot and witnesses and review all available evidence as part of its inquiries.
The single-engine Robinson R44 came down hard in scrubland shortly after taking off on a sunset tour about 6pm on Wednesday at a remote site 1.5km west of Yulara and 800 metres into scrubland from the helipad.
"During climb, the pilot received a low rotor speed warning, entered an autorotation and conducted a forced landing on a sand dune," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is investigating, said in a statement on Thursday.
"The helicopter subsequently rolled, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and one passenger."
The 32-year-old pilot and a 32-year-old male passenger were airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where they both remained in a serious but stable condition with spinal and other injuries.
The other passengers, a 46-year-old woman and 35-year-old man, were treated for less serious injuries in the Alice Springs Hospital.
All three passengers are Australians.
Professional Helicopter Services, which operated the flight, said despite the pilot's best efforts to put down safely, the chopper slid down the dune and ended up on its side.
"Our immediate priority is for the welfare of our passengers and our pilot," the company said in a statement.
"Our local team worked closely with authorities to secure their rescue in difficult terrain and we are very proud of the way they handled what was a difficult and distressing situation."
The company said it had been running tourist operations at Uluru for 27 years and pledged to co-operate fully with investigations into the incident.
"The tourist operating community here is a tight-knit one and we are all in shock at what has occurred," a spokesman said.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the passengers involved in this incident and, of course, the pilot who is both our colleague and friend."
Northern Territory Police established a crime scene at the crash site as they waited for ATSB investigators to arrive.
The ATSB said it would interview the pilot and witnesses and review all available evidence as part of its inquiries.
"During climb, the pilot received a low rotor speed warning, entered an autorotation and conducted a forced landing on a sand dune," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is investigating, said in a statement on Thursday.
At least they are all alive
if only they had had a second engine.......
It is heartening to see a fall in the incidences of post crash fires in R44s.
Naturally, by strengthening the weakest link the next weakest link becomes more apparent.
Do the half height, potentially back breaking front seat backs need a rethink?
Mjb
How are they mounted? The only two ways I've seen GPS mounted in R22 or R44 is on top of the binnacle, out of the way of legs, or suction mounts on the windscreen, which would give way before a leg.
Curious choice of landing spot, looks like open flat space only 20 meters away from the sand dune. Two things to celebrate...everybody survived, and the demise of another R-whatever-it-is. No way they going to rebuild that wreck, might as well dig a hole where it lays and bury it.
Do the half height, potentially back breaking front seat backs need a rethink?
OK shock horror brigade, lets have some evidence. Lets see some hyper extension thoracic spine injuries from 44s. I am not aware of any.
The normal forces are downwards into the various collapsible sections (cushion, luggage compartment, skin, skids) or deceleration (ie spinal flexion) or lateral shears from rolling. How often do you get an accelerational force so you extend backwards over the top of the seat???
Dont worry I am sure there are other shock horror items you can identify. Yes it is made down to a price and needs to be treated with care, but without Frank Robinson most of us could never have afforded to learn....
The normal forces are downwards into the various collapsible sections (cushion, luggage compartment, skin, skids) or deceleration (ie spinal flexion) or lateral shears from rolling. How often do you get an accelerational force so you extend backwards over the top of the seat???
Dont worry I am sure there are other shock horror items you can identify. Yes it is made down to a price and needs to be treated with care, but without Frank Robinson most of us could never have afforded to learn....
The seats in many helicopters are not comfortable or ergonomic. $40,000 USD+ to replace a crew seat in a 412 yet the seat in my $40,000 KIA is infinitely more comfortable, and probably more crash worthy.
Looking closer at the picture, I realise the bar is behind the two front seats - must get new glasses
and a lot of people would still be alive.............
but without Frank Robinson most of us could never have afforded to learn....
And without Bell or MD or Airbus more people would also still be alive Crab.
There is a book we use in medical school called 'how to lie with statistics'. The statistic I like is the fact that helicopters are the only form of transport that have saved more lives than they have cost, and obviously in no small part down to you and your colleagues. We can argue this all night, but there would be even less of an industry with no Robinsons. And more accidents are due to the driver than the hardware, but this isnt really the discussion to have when people have been injured and the cause is unknown. I just get fed up with the same old same old on every thread.
There is a book we use in medical school called 'how to lie with statistics'. The statistic I like is the fact that helicopters are the only form of transport that have saved more lives than they have cost, and obviously in no small part down to you and your colleagues. We can argue this all night, but there would be even less of an industry with no Robinsons. And more accidents are due to the driver than the hardware, but this isnt really the discussion to have when people have been injured and the cause is unknown. I just get fed up with the same old same old on every thread.
It's a single-engined piston that lost power in the climb, despite many people here saying how great and reliable they are.
It was carrying fare-paying passengers and it crashed - at least this one didn't kill any.
Bell, MD and Airbus all make helicopters that have saved many thousands of lives - Robinson doesn't.
Robbies clearly aren't the only type of helicopter that crashes but they are often the weapon of choice for low-cost commercial operations so being more crashworthy would be a good thing.
It was carrying fare-paying passengers and it crashed - at least this one didn't kill any.
Bell, MD and Airbus all make helicopters that have saved many thousands of lives - Robinson doesn't.
Robbies clearly aren't the only type of helicopter that crashes but they are often the weapon of choice for low-cost commercial operations so being more crashworthy would be a good thing.
Look like 1970's citroen 2 cv seats to me.
Mind when you buy the Lada of the skies you get Lada value.
Good riddance to another death trap of a helicopter.
One could argue that if the same happened again and they were in a properly thought out and designed helo - no-one would have been badly injured.
Mind when you buy the Lada of the skies you get Lada value.
Good riddance to another death trap of a helicopter.
One could argue that if the same happened again and they were in a properly thought out and designed helo - no-one would have been badly injured.
Does this really need to turn into another Robbie bashing thread? (I've never flown a Robbie, but a couple of good friends have). It would be nice to avoid that hobby this time around. Glad to see no fatalities, those pictures give me chills.
Look again. Standard options available with a large gps mount above the pilot's legs.
Couldn't agree more! Let's have another go at Frank Robinson!
Someone once told me a quote "those that know little, same the same thing often" I've used that in all sorts of situations.
Let's see what the reports says, and avoid the tiresome Robbie bashing, We all know those that will bash them, and we know your opinions of them, so please give those of us that have learnt on them, a break!
Someone once told me a quote "those that know little, same the same thing often" I've used that in all sorts of situations.
Let's see what the reports says, and avoid the tiresome Robbie bashing, We all know those that will bash them, and we know your opinions of them, so please give those of us that have learnt on them, a break!
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I "love" the idea that the crumple zone for the front seat is onto the lower legs and feet of the rear pax! Hopefully the rear pax doesn't jam something hard and sharp down under the front seats.
I have sat in a 44, in a hangar, and was surprised at how little room they had in the rear.
I have sat in a 44, in a hangar, and was surprised at how little room they had in the rear.