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[OM][OT] Helicopters, etc.

Subject: [OM][OT] Helicopters, etc.
From: "Jon Mitchell" <jon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:37:45 -0000
Hey Chuck, that story sounds familiar ...

The company I used to work for specialised in Filming (TV & Film) from the
air - in fact they started out filming from helicopters for a number of
feature films.  More recently they moved more into TV (easier money, quicker
results, more work) - the fact that even more recently they have started to
take a nose-dive (financially) is irrelevant to the story, so I shall
continue ...

The Australian branch of the company was filming, from a helicopter.  In the
helicopter were the pilot, the camera system technician, the cameraman, and
the director.  The camera was one of the fancy "stabilised" ones that hangs
off the side of the helicopter.

Anyway, filming somewhere in Oz - not sure where exactly - in a valley, they
flew straight into some power lines.  The one thing that saved them, and I
dare say helped to save your son, was that the power lines hit the top of
the helicopter and sheared the rotors & gearbox off rather than actually
impacting the spinning rotors.  If the actual blades make contact with the
power lines the resultant damage can send the helicopter into a spinning
uncontrollable dive.  In the case I am talking about, the rotors were ripped
clean off (as were the tail rotors I believe) and the thing fell straight
downwards - from a similar height as your son's.

These guys got away with far fewer injuries than your son - the worst being
a fractured vertebrae in the spine of the pilot.  The helicopter, by some
stroke of luck, landed on it's skids !!  The downward force of the impact,
however, forced the skids up through the floor, and the camera was flatter
than it should have been !  All 4 people actually walked away from the
wreckage, to a safe distance in case of explosion, where the pilot
complained of "a slightly bruised back" !!

There were pictures somewhere, but I can't find them right now.  Very, very
impressive how they got out of that.  Or maybe it was like you say "star
alignment" !

Anyway, best of wishes to you and your son.  None of the above is intended
to detract from your sons accident, or his luck/achievements in keeping
himself and his passenger alive.  Luck or some other higher power may well
have had something to do with it, but lets not forget his skill as a pilot
which I am sure had something to do with it (if nothing else, he switched
off all the electrical gear).

Best wishes, and a speedy recovery,

Jon



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