Helicopter Crash at Flaine

A rescue helicopter crashed during an airlift of a female Dutch skier near to ski pistes at Flaine at midday today. The four occupants, including the injured skier, were killed on impact

Eye witnesses said that the helicopter hit a cable used to transport explosives for setting off avalanches in the Tête de pré de Saix sector while descending to a first aid point. The pilot lost control and crashed at 2,100 meters altitude between a piste and a drag lift narrowly missing the propane tanks of a mountain restaurant. The restaurant had around 150 diners at the time of the crash. There was some low cloud at the time of the accident.

The helicopter was based at Annemasse in the Haute Savoie and belonged to Helicopters Mt. Blanc. The four occupants were the pilot, an engineer, a pisteur and the injured skier.

Posted by davidof on Tuesday, 19 February, 2002 at 07:21 PM