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Chopper Crash Terrace, Bc


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I just recently heard a bit on the circumstances of the accident. Apparenly the aircraft had flown about 8 hours or so since its rebuild. Phil was picking up a drill crew and that he was repositioning the a/c on the pad prior to the guys getting in. It was at this point that the tail rotor failed and control was lost. The a/c fell 600 to 700 feet below coming to rest on a talus slope amongst large bolders. He had all the odds stacked against him. I think that this every pitots nightmare among others.

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Phil remains in ICU in a critical but stable condition, with 40% second and third degree burns. His mother,Kate and brother are currently with him.

His brother visited the crash site last weekend and was able to piece together some of the details of the crash. The previous account seems fairly correct from what we can determine, except to say that Phil fought his way out of the helicopter and dragged himself away from the machine before it exploded. The guys he had come in to pick up, raced down to administer first aid and assisted in saving his life with their excellent care.

Thanks again for all the support and good wishes - they are being passed on.

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The pilot's name is Phil O'Driscoll. He is from Austrailia. He worked for Lakelse Air (Terrace) last couple of years.

 

Good source says that it he was enroute to pick up a crew at a drill site about 15 or so miles northwest of Terrace up the Kalum valley area. Prior to cresting a ridge the tail rotor failed and the A/C began to rotate.

 

There nothing but a portion of the rear tail section left.

 

He survived the crash. He was able to tell what happened. However its unknown at this time what his condition is but it was critical!

 

He was medivaced out to the Vancouver burn truma centre last night.

 

This is an X-TurboWest machine, the same 500 that crashed at Bob-Quinn airstrip last summer when the compressor failed. Aparrantly this A/C had just come out of a major rebuild after that accident and that it was its 2nd flight since.

 

I think that the guys who worked on it last are not sleeping too well right now.

 

I wonder if this has something to do with a lack of experienced people left in the industry?

 

i edited my post and decided to leave it as it is now, but basically what i said is i doubt it was lack of experience knowing where it was overhauled, and it probably had over 5 or 6 hours on it since rebuild ( i missed your post that says it has 8 on it). possibly a bird?

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One of my best friends works at Quantum, and he is good buddies with Phil.

From his account of what happened, Phil was about to toe in to pickup the guys and the T/r gearbox failed.

Instead of chopping and dropping on top of the guys, he pulled back and away crashing down the side of the mountain, so that he wouldn't kill the guys on the pad...

To make that decision in a split second without the luxury of time to think about it shows some pretty strong heroic character.

I hope to bump into you on a job somewhere, sometime Phil.

Mine, and my families hopes and prayers go out to you and your family.

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One of my best friends works at Quantum, and he is good buddies with Phil.

From his account of what happened, Phil was about to toe in to pickup the guys and the T/r gearbox failed.

Instead of chopping and dropping on top of the guys, he pulled back and away crashing down the side of the mountain, so that he wouldn't kill the guys on the pad...

To make that decision in a split second without the luxury of time to think about it shows some pretty strong heroic character.

I hope to bump into you on a job somewhere, sometime Phil. 

Mine, and my families hopes and prayers go out to you and your family.

 

I spent alot of years getting picked up as a passenger on tight pads. Always kind of wondered what would happen if the unthinkable happened. Now I'm on the other side. All I can say is if that is what happened, bless his heart. Best of luck Phil

 

Zazu

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