R44 down in Austria
 

Yesterday a R44 crashed near St. Veit/Glan in Carinthia, pilot died - reason unknown. Ferryflight from maintenance to operator. Story: Ein Toter bei Hubschrauberabsturz - oesterreich.ORF.at

That is ugly...no good:uhoh:

Pic looks awfully small to be a R44, sure it's not a 22? Any idea of a news story in English!?!?

My regards go out to the pilot...

Rough fact translation:
35 year old male from Statzendorf/austria died monday in a helicopter crash in the vincinity of St. Veit/Glan. The reason of the crash is yet unknown.
The crash happenend enroute to Klagenfurt. The pilot was the only one on board the 4-seated aircraft which is owned by a private company from Villach.
The aircraft had been in maintenance/service by the company Heli-Line for the previous days. The helicopter dissappeared from the radar screens (Austro Control) in a rural (forrestal) area close to St. Veit when it collided with a hill.
There was good visibility during the time of the accident. It is also unknown why the pilot was orbiting around the village St. Veit.
The austrian NTSB is on its way to the crash site.

cheers eivissa.

down r 44
 

hi
i just know the guy that own the maint.company he is a brick maby some shortcut on somone elses live
he is a examiner i personly think he could not make a living somwhere out in the real helo world not protected from somone!!!!
chears

OE-XHH is a R44 Astro

Observations from photographs
 

I looked at the photos on this site, and unless I am wrong, taking the tree just behind the wreckage as zero degrees and clockwise as positive, it appears that the main spars of the blades are at about -15 and +60 degrees. They also appear to be missing the blade sections which are normally attached. Is my interpretation wrong?

Very very sad for the family of the Pilot,

seems a lowish speed impact, and total absence of fire?

Vfr

Update
 

BMVIT / FUS report:
http://versa.bmvit.gv.at/uploads/med...Z._85.150_.pdf

...in German I'm afraid.

The investigators came to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft. Pilot was experienced and qualified, but must have inadvertently gone IMC and crashed.