Helicopter Crashes In Northern Alberta

[treetopflyer]

Helicopter crashes in northern Alberta

 

Edmonton Journal Link

 

July 29, 2005

 

WANDERING RIVER, Alta. (CP) -- A helicopter on its way to an oilfield site has crashed in northern Alberta.

 

Transportation and safety officials confirm the chopper went down about 8 a.m. near Wandering River after taking off from Plamondon.

 

It is unclear how badly the pilot, who was alone, may have been injured.

 

Fire official Jack McEvoy says the pilot was able to communicate on a cellphone after the helicopter crashed.

 

It is not known what caused the aircraft owned by Great Slave Helicopters to go down.

[twinstar_ca]

here's hoping all goes well for the driver...

[Sexual Chocolate]

cbc.ca has a few things to say about the accident and the condition of the pilot. Luckily it sounds like he will be alright. I hate to hear of these things. My thoughts are with the pilot, his family/friends and the good people at Great Slave.

[beltdrive]

great slave heli or Slave lake Heli??? difference there....

[treetopflyer]

Downed pilot calls for help on cellphone

 

CBC News Link

 

A helicopter pilot who crashed in northern Alberta has been airlifted to safety after calling for help on his cellphone.

 

The helicopter was on route to an oilfield when it smashed to the ground at about 8 a.m. MDT near Wandering River, about 200 kilometres north of Edmonton.

 

Rescue officials said the pilot used his cellphone to call for help and was quickly located.

 

He has not been publicly identified.

 

Great Slave Helicopters, which owns the aircraft, said the man wasn't seriously injured.

 

The company, based in High Prairie, said the pilot remained in hospital in the northern city of Fort McMurray.

 

He was flying alone at the time of the accident.

 

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation.

[treetopflyer]

Some more fine reporting here.

 

I attached a map I made to try and figure out where all this happened.

 

I wasn't aware that Great Slave Helicopters is based in High Prairie.

 

...when it smashed to the ground...

"smashed" is that the best word they could think of?

 

My thoughts are also with the pilot, his family/friends and the good people at whatever company he worked for.

 

ttf

[jetbox]

I think maybe they made a mistake with the ownership of that helicopter. Unless Great Slave opened a base in High Praire recently, they must be refering to Slave Lake Helicopters.

 

Am I wrong???

 

Who cares who owns it anyways, no one got hurt seriously! Hourray!!!! :up: :up:

[Skids Up]

Plus why would they take him to Ft Mac hospitial, when there are so many much closer than that?

[justfly]

Another, slightly different account from the Edmonton Sun. Does Great Slave use the 300s for anything other than training? Student cross-country??

 

July 30, 2005

 

Pilot survives chopper crash

 

A 36-year-old pilot sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a helicopter crash southeast of Wandering River yesterday.

 

Talisman Energy employees located the three-seater Hughes/Schweizer 300C, owned by Yellowknife-based Great Slave Helicopters, after the pilot failed to show up in Wandering River at 8 a.m. as scheduled. Wandering River is 254 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

 

Boyle RCMP were called to the scene of the crash around 8:15 a.m. The pilot, who was the only person in the helicopter at the time of the crash, was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Fort McMurray with non-life-threatening injuries.

 

The man, whose name has not been released, is from Plamondon, located 174 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

[Rotorboy2]

Hmmm, some slightly differing information there.