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UAE SAR 139 Crash

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UAE SAR 139 Crash

Old 29th Dec 2018, 15:09
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UAE SAR 139 Crash

https://gulfnews.com/uae/video-four-....1546097394182

Ras Al Khaimah: A rescue helicopter crashed on Jebel Jais mountain in Ras Al Khaimah, killing four crew members on Saturday.

The incident happened when the helicopter clipped a zipline on the mountain, the UAE's highest peak. The dead include three Emiratis and a foreigner.

Their identities were not immediately released by the police.

His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, has ordered immediate investigation into the crash of the helicopter, which was operated by the National Search and Rescue Center.

Shaikh Saud also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the security and safety requirements being followed in the incident site to establish the cause.

A top official said: “The accident happened at 5:50pm on Saturday and the helicopter was on a mission to airlift an injured man from Jebel Jais. The helicopter crashed before reaching the man.”

He said the helicopter crashed after hitting the zip line cable.


he ‘Jebel Jais Flight’ zipline is the world’s longest ziplinehttps://gulfnews.com/uae/worlds-long...-rak-1.2167031in Ras Al Khaimah.

It is 2.8km long – the length of 28 football fields and runs at a height of 1,680m above sea level, on top of Jebel Jais mountain, the UAE’s highest peak. By comparison, Burj Khalifa the world’s tallest tower in Dubai, is 828m high.Statements

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced the crash, identifying the chopper as Agusta 139 helicopter. It said the incident took place during a rescue mission next to Jais Mountain in Ras Al Khaimah.


GCAA stated the crash took place at about 5.50 pm on Saturday. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

The National Search and Rescue Centre confirmed that four crew members were on the board of the helicopter when the crash took place.

Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive Officer, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: ”We learned of the helicopter accident on Jebel Jais Mountain and can assure everyone that there were no injuries to any of the public on Jebel Jais, our team or the facilities on the mountain. We await further details pending the outcome of the investigation ordered by His Highness the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.”

An official at Saqr hospital told Gulf News that they received one injured man, an Indian, who sustained injuries while he was on Jebel Jais.

Three bodies were recovered and the search for the fourth crew member, the medic, is still on.Rescue operations

While the police have not released details of circumstances surrounding the crash, there have been a number of search and rescue operations on Jebal Jais over the years.

In January, police rescued a European tourist who fell off the mountain while trekking.

A rescue helicopter was used to lift the victim. Later in the year, a Ras Al Khaimah police helicopter rescue team saved a Pakistani family from tragedy after their car plunged into a valley in Jebel Jais.

In September, a trekker who fell down the mountain was air lifted by helicopter to hospital – she didn’t survive and in October 2017, Ras Al Khaimah Police Air wing transported an injured woman to hospital from a ravine after her family car veered of the road.Statements

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced the crash, identifying the chopper as Agusta 139 helicopter. It said the incident took place during a rescue mission next to Jais Mountain in Ras Al Khaimah. GCAA stated the crash took place at about 5.50 pm on Saturday. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. The National Search and Rescue Centre confirmed that four crew members were on the board of the helicopter when the crash took place. The bodies are yet to be recovered from the crash site, it added.

What is Jebal Jais?
  • -Jebal Jais is the UAE’s highest mountain – it’s summit has an elevation of 1,934m
  • -It is located in Ras Al Khaimah, one of seven emirates in the UAE
  • -The mountain is a popular tourist destination, especially in the winter because of the cooler weather, with locals and visitors driving up the mountain

Last edited by Senior Pilot; 29th Dec 2018 at 18:59. Reason: Add quote
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 15:18
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Horrific video. RIP fellow aviators
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 21:51
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Rescue A139 down in UAE

Four lost, RIP

Four killed after rescue helicopter strikes zip line in UAE?s Ras Al-Khaimah | Arab News
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Old 30th Dec 2018, 08:54
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Would the zip line show up on their EFIS as powerlines do?
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Old 30th Dec 2018, 10:28
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Originally Posted by Raffles S.A.
Would the zip line show up on their EFIS as powerlines do?
If it's in the data base....
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Old 30th Dec 2018, 13:45
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No EFIS I've used in the past 3 decades has depicted "power lines" but that has not been on rotary aircraft. That's nada, zilch, zero, zip.

Noticed on above link that zip line/ride had been installed as the world's longest zipline ride earlier this year. Was it duly noted on notams to warn aircraft in the area?

As it was still daylight at the time of accident there must have still been interest in those who find a thrill on the zipline to partake. Was anyone injured or worse while on the zipline at the time the helicopter made contact with it? Was the zipline severed?

Sadly similar accidents have occurred in the past

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/04/w...ift-cable.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavale...disaster_(1998)

Lastly condolences to crew and passengers of tragically downed helicopter, may you rest in peace.
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Old 30th Dec 2018, 17:23
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If I recall correctly, a small plane got tangled in a zip line recently near Sun City, South Africa. The occupants were eventually rescued unharmed.
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Old 30th Dec 2018, 21:30
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If I recall correctly, a small plane got tangled in a zip line recently near Sun City, South Africa. The occupants were eventually rescued unharmed.
Absolutely correct, sir. They were lucky. (The "300 meters" seems a bit much to me, but I wasn't there.)

This was a truly tragic event. May they RIP and let the rest of us learn from this.

Last edited by Carbon Bootprint; 31st Dec 2018 at 16:04.
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Old 31st Dec 2018, 06:57
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Here’s the airspace depiction on the Jep VFR chart.


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Old 1st Jan 2019, 00:43
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Unhappy

Rest in Peace
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Old 1st Jan 2019, 12:12
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Zip lines and GA don’t make good (aviation) neighbors. Similar accidents in Sun City, South Africa. Invisible cable, hundreds of feet above ground. Support towers “kilometers” apart.
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Old 1st Jan 2019, 12:56
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Wires will straight up kill you!

In areas in the Pacific Northwest, timber logging crews can rig Hi-Lead Lines in a matter of hours with no notice to anyone.

One must learn how to fly in a Wire Environment or be at great risk.

Like this Crew did not know about the Zip Line?

This accident investigation is not going to be about "What" happened....but rather it will be about "Why" this happened.
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Old 1st Jan 2019, 13:28
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"Noticed on above link that zip line/ride had been installed as the world's longest zipline ride earlier this year. Was it duly noted on notams to warn aircraft in the area? "

Yes, it was NOTAMed
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Old 1st Jan 2019, 20:51
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Enough digital based map tools out there warning of wires which given the impact of loss of these people plus equipment must make it a low value purchase in the grand scheme?
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Old 1st Jan 2019, 22:28
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I think you mean high value/low cost. I’m impressed with the sophisticated reaction from the (high) authority to zero in on root causes. The days of an ʾIn shāʾa llāh shrug are behind us.
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Old 2nd Jan 2019, 18:37
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It was their local patch and the zip line appears to have been very well publicised - how could they not know about it?

Very sad - RIP.
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Old 2nd Jan 2019, 23:05
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Agree with Crab on this entirely. Totally avoidable tragedy, very sad. Hope the report doesn't gloss over basics, because lessons need to be learnt. But not the hard way like this one.
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Old 3rd Jan 2019, 08:12
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The most likely wires to be hit are the ones you know about.
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Old 3rd Jan 2019, 08:41
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Perhaps vaguely similar to the CHC S92 accident in Ireland. An experienced crew flying a modern helicopter into an obstacle they should have known about, and in visual conditions (although whether the CHC crew was in fact visual was highly unlikely).
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Old 3rd Jan 2019, 10:16
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Perhaps - again - an over-reliance on the technology to keep you safe rather than local knowledge and awareness - just follow the magenta line......................

Perhaps those that build helicopters will recognise that what works for an airliner at FL nosebleed, isn't often much use for a helicopter at 100' agl or lower.
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