Helicopter Crashes - by Fifi Rhodes and Irene !Hoaës
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WINDHOEK – A 1989 built Robinson helicopter crashed on a dry riverbank outside Okapuka Tannery yesterday killing one occupant and injuring another. The two were on a scheduled training flight.
When paramedics arrived on board a police helicopter, they found the deceased, a trainee pilot and the instructor, who survived the accident. He was in a stable condition.
The aircraft belongs to a local flying school based at Eros. It was recently on exhibition during the MTC Design For Life Expo at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium.
The identities of the two victims were not immediately released, as their next of kin were not informed. Sergeant Katrina Nuukushu of the Namibian Police Public Liaison Office, who was at the scene informed New Era that the instructor comes from South Africa, while the deceased student was an Angolan national.
She could not, however, divulge all information pending a full report. The Directorate of Civil Aviation and the Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigation will investigate the cause of the crash, which happened around 16h00. The latest aircraft accident takes place three days after a Cessna Caravan 208 bound for Ondjiva in southern Angola, crashed on Sunday morning shortly after take-off, killing three people.
When New Era arrived at the scene, the small yellow aircraft was lying on the riverbank with its nose facing north. Next to it was a body covered in plastic while investigators fine combed the area for clues.
There was no blood on deceased and it was assumed that he might have died after injury to his neck.
The aircraft looked as if it might have swerved through the trees before it crashed to the ground. The glass windows of the cockpit were broken into pieces but not shattered.
The front body of the helicopter had a crack in the middle, as if it was going to break into two because of the impact and engine weight. The tail was in pieces.
The Ministry of Works and Transport recently revealed that the first six months of this year were the safest in Namibian airspace, with a significant drop in the number of aircraft accidents and incidents.
Figures show that there were 13 occurrences (five accidents and eight incidents) during the first six months of 2009, 24 cases less than those recorded during the same period in 2005.
Although it is still 44 days to year-end, 2009 has seen a decline in aircraft incidents and accidents. The Beta II Helicopter is described as an aircraft with superior performance and outstanding reliability.
The two-seater R22 is the world’s most popular entry-level helicopter for nearly two decades. It holds major performance records in its weight class, including speed and distance. The R22 is also described as having fewer accidents.
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