Seven dead in helo crash in France tonight (20th June 09)
 

According to my local news (not in France) seven people onboard a private helicopter was killed when to helo crashed against a mountain in eastern France tonite. The accident occured close to the city Bregnier-Cordon i Ain.

The helicopter belonged to the operator Azur and was transporting people from Alibi in the Isere-region according to local rescue authorities.

Very sad day for all involved and for France who within short period of time have to major losses.

Two links to news articles - the first in French, the second by Reuters in India!

French press release

Reuters

The french story makes rather gruesome reading as it says that 5 of the dead were decapitated. It also says that the weather at the time of the accident was good.

Here is a translation of the French report:-

Seven occupants of a private helicopter were killed early Saturday evening in the crash of their aircraft on Mount Cordon near Brégnier-Cordon, in Ain, according to firefighters, the police and the prefecture.

The helicopter belongs to the Helicopters Azur.

The accident occurred around 19:00 when the helicopter, on its first flight from the Walibi park, crashed for unknown reasons in a steep and uninhabited area, said the same sources.

The victims were the pilot of the helicopter and six employees of the park on leave, who had taken advantage of the flight.

Five of the victims were decapitated in the accident, according to firefighters.

"A witness gave the alert. He saw the blue and white helicopter flying at low altitude before losing sight, and then heard a bang and had a strong smell of kerosene," said Frédéric Bertin, an officer in the Operations Center Départemental of 'Fire and Rescue (CODIS).

"The weather at the time of the accident was generally good. The aircraft crashed without catching fire, "said Didier Doré, the sub-prefect of Belley in Ain, who visited the location.

"The whole of Bourg-en-Bresse is seized by the case and the investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy, he added.

Fifty firefighters from the Ain, Isère and Savoie, aboard a dozen trucks went to the scene of the accident.

They were supported by as many men from the gendarmerie and from the aviation fire service.

Helicopters Axur, which has a hangar at the Lyon-Bron airport, did not wish to comment.

Brégnier-Cord is located 20km south of Belley

According to press, helo was an AS 355 B2

No mention of a wire strike?

No report of wire strike- Press reports suddent loss of engine....

It was an AS350 B2, Hi-density version : 1 pilot + 6 pax.

Helicopter Crash in France Kills 7
 

21 June 2009

French authorities say a helicopter carrying amusement park workers crashed Saturday in eastern France, killing all seven people on board.
The dead include the pilot and six employees of the Walibi theme park in the French region of Rhône-Alpes. Witnesses saw the helicopter shortly before it crashed near the town of Bregnier-Cordon in the district of Ain.

The Walibi park said it would be closed Sunday because of the crash. The cause of the crash is not yet known