Heli crash in France : Pilot & passenger survive crash by jumping
 

This happened yesterday in the mountainous area of "la Drôme". Apparently only lightly wounded, they jumped after the pilot found himself losing control in IMC conditions.

Accident d'hlicoptre : les occupants sautent avant le crash - France - Toute l'actualité en France - France Info

Any more info ?

I'm calling BS

it does sound rather suspicious... I mean, who would jump out of an aircraft not knowing what height or where the hell you are...:confused::confused::confused:

Rock, paper, sissors as to who goes first...

Seconded!

I know life throws us a few things now and then that make you wonder, but this appears to be a little too much, even for the Great Man himself.

After control is already lost, between them they both decide to get out, in flight, of a helicopter which is now unbelievably out of control, with all those big whirry bits to get past....just in the nick of time!

Agree with Ben & Sid - however, Google "Sgt Nicholas Alkemade" - stranger things have been known.

The first report is just a (good) translation of a journalist words.
As usual, wait a little bit to clean the b......t and the truth will come up.
Sound strange to me to get out of a flying aircraft and to be lucky enough to land in 1 meter of snow, then to walk to look for help.
Drakkar

As usual, journalist bullsh*t.

Here's a new article, I took the liberty to modify the Google translation to make it understandable.

Two occupants of a helicopter survived a crash Sunday on a mountain in the Drôme. Unlike the first details of some media, they have not jumped from the aircraft before impact.

The miracle has caused some fantasies. A pilot and his passenger have survived the crash of their helicopter on the heights of the ski resort of Font d'Urle, in the Drome. But contrary to what has been reported by many media, they have not jumped in the air.

The pilot of 59 years, accumulating thousands of hours of flight time, and his passenger 63, had rented a helicopter Sunday afternoon to commute Megève (Haute-Savoie) Valence (Drôme). Arriving on the Vercors massif, they were surprised by bad weather. The thick fog forced the pilot to fly low. Around 15:30, the helicopter crashed on the mountains of Serre-Montu, the top ski resort of Font d'Urle. Its two occupants miraculously unscathed. "They were flying very low because they have not fallen very high," said Lt. Rey, fire brigade Vassieux-en-Vercors who spoke on the incident when contacted by lefigaro.fr.

The helicopter was cushioned by the snow

According to the firemen, the helicopter probably hit a tree, causing its fall cushioned by the thick layer of snow - more than one meter - that carpeted the ground there. "The pilot checked the condition of his passenger, who suffered from pain in the chest and arm. She was left in the helicopter under a cover to protect her from the cold, and he went to seek help. "The man was bleeding from the eyebrow. Cutting through the forest, he joined a main road below, where he met a car that took him to the first aid station nearest to Vassieux-en-Vercors. It was then about 17h.

Research teams were quickly put into action and followed back the pilot’s track of dripping blood, to the place of the crash. In all, eleven firefighters and six members of the departmental research team were mobilized, with snowmobiles, and eight paramedics. The victim was reached around 19h and discharged, as his companion in misfortune, to the hospital in Valencia.

"You don’t have time to jump"

A few hours later, Agence France-Presse (AFP) relays the information back including France Info, the headline "Drôme: a helicopter crashes, driver and passenger jump before the crash. Citing the firefighters, the agency reported that the two occupants "jumped from the vehicle shortly before it crashed (...), breaking in shock." False ensures Lt. Rey.

Lefigaro.fr contacted the Director of the company responsible for maintenance of the helicopter, an experienced pilot who has talked with the pilot after the accident, he finds this story "completely fanciful". "Imagine in a car accident? Do people jump? "He asked, adding that “anyway, in such a situation, one does not have time to jump. " The report should provide more information on the exact circumstances of the accident, the most important being that both victims got away fine.

Send three and four-pence, we're going to a dance!

Didn't jump, wasn't pushed
 

I saw the first report this morning, and like most forumites found it hard to believe. Then The Figaro published this retraction. But there is still a intesting comment:
"They were flying very low because they did not fall from very high," said Lt. Rey, Vassieux-en-Vercors fire brigade, who spoke on the incident when contacted by lefigaro.fr.
Suggests that it might be better to fly very low in bad weather just in case you crash!

Laurence

How to survive a fall from a great height
 

It's best to fly at height rather than low down as it is much easier to survive a "vertical" crash rather than a "horizontal" one.
All you need to do is to wait until the aircraft is about 2 metres or less above the ground then step out. Most people are capable of surviving a fall of 2 metres or less..........
You can practice for this by standing on a table on top of a high building and getting somebody to push the table over the side. Just before, or just as the table legs make contact with the ground, step off - et voila! It takes a bit of practice, so perhaps is should be included in annual emergency training?? :8

Ahhh yes ( Just before, or just as the table legs make contact with the ground, step off)as my instructor said when practising autos "Timing is everything":E

Sounds like a Viz top tip!! :ok:

For those unfamiliar with Viz:-
Viz Comic

Its not the falling that hurts, its that last 1/4 inch that does it !:eek:

Otherwise known as "the fall doesn't hurt, but the sudden stop at the end is a different matter" :E