Sierra Leone Crash Kills 22, All Choppers Grounded — Civil Aviation Forum

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Sierra Leone Crash Kills 22, All Choppers Grounded

BuyantUkhaa From Mongolia, joined May 2004, 2781 posts, RR: 3
Posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1921 times:

Fair use excerpt:

Sierra Leone's Transport Minister, Prince Harding, has been suspended pending an investigation into the cause of Sunday's helicopter crash. Three days of mourning have been announced for the 22 people who died at Sierra Leone's main airport. The helicopter had previously been grounded after failing safety checks. Mr Harding has denied any wrongdoing. Sierra Leone's two top aviation officials have also been suspended and all commercial helicopters grounded.

[...]

Helicopters and ferries are the only way to reach the airport, which is located across a bay from Freetown. One of the two Ukrainian pilots survived when the helicopter burst into flames as it came into land. The remains of the passengers are expected to be flown back to Lome in Togo on Wednesday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6721937.stm

I scratch my head, therefore I am.

10 replies: All unread, jump to last

A320ajm From United Kingdom, joined May 2006, 503 posts, RR: 0
Reply 1, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1842 times:

Quoting BuyantUkhaa (Thread starter):
Sierra Leone's two top aviation officials have also been suspended and all commercial helicopters grounded.

Why in a helicopter crash would they suspen Sierra Leone's two top aviation officals? Are they somehow involved in the crash?
A320ajm

If the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'

CO7e7 From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 2848 posts, RR: 2
Reply 2, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1827 times:

Quoting A320ajm (Reply 1):
Why in a helicopter crash would they suspen Sierra Leone's two top aviation officals? Are they somehow involved in the crash?

I don't really know, but maybe it had something to do with this:

Quoting BuyantUkhaa (Thread starter):
The helicopter had previously been grounded after failing safety checks.

Alessandro From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 3, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1782 times:

Togo lost lots of top officials in the football assiocation in the crash, Togo qualified last World Cup and made a very poor preformance.

VC10BOAC From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 389 posts, RR: 0
Reply 4, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1661 times:

I am surprised it took so long to happen. I rode in one of those helicopters when I visited a couple years ago. The two Russian pilots were unshaven and looked like they had been drinking all night. When the helicopter started, black smole that smelled like burning oil filled the cabin and I thought I was going to die.

A few months ago, one on them lifted off the ground a couple feet at the airport, then there was a loud bang with smoke everywhere and the helicopter plummetted back to the ground. Would you believe those crazy pilots immediately tried to take off again? The passengers had to pull them fway drom the controls and rough them up a bit. I personally know someone who was on board and it was reported in the local press. I will try to find the article.

Alessandro From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 5, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 1592 times:

Pilots in the crash came from Ukraine.

BuyantUkhaa From Mongolia, joined May 2004, 2781 posts, RR: 3
Reply 6, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1463 times:

Quoting VC10BOAC (Reply 4):
The passengers had to pull them fway drom the controls and rough them up a bit

Not the average slick SQ experience then? Wink

I scratch my head, therefore I am.

MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15748 posts, RR: 48
Reply 7, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1415 times:

Quoting VC10BOAC (Reply 4):
I rode in one of those helicopters when I visited a couple years ago

That must have been a crazy experience, as in exciting-scary.

They're opening an inquiry (in French):
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_af...e.asp?art_cle=XIN70027freetehcnam0

Some points from the article in no particular order of prose...

The Russian copilot of the Paramount Airlines Mi-8 was the only survivor. The machine caught fire as it tried to land. The Togolese government has decreed three days of national mourning. All helicopter flights have been banned. The director of the Paramount Airlines, which has been blacklisted by the EU, thinks it unlikely that the accident was a mechanical problem.

E pur si muove -Galileo

VC10BOAC From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 389 posts, RR: 0
Reply 8, posted (5 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1329 times:

Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 7):
The director of the Paramount Airlines, which has been blacklisted by the EU, thinks it unlikely that the accident was a mechanical problem.

The helicopter catches fire and that was not a mechanical problem? So what was it? Arson?

MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15748 posts, RR: 48
Reply 9, posted (5 years 11 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 1167 times:

Four heads roll because they were to receive bribes:

http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_af...e.asp?art_cle=XIN70027leminniveds0

The minister of transport and three others were arrested Monday for corruption--accepting bribes in exchange for allowing flights on aircraft that were not properly maintained.

E pur si muove -Galileo

BuyantUkhaa From Mongolia, joined May 2004, 2781 posts, RR: 3
Reply 10, posted (5 years 11 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 1105 times:

Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 9):
The minister of transport and three others were arrested Monday for corruption--accepting bribes in exchange for allowing flights on aircraft that were not properly maintained.

Interesting development! Are the helicopters flying again (I mean of the other companies?)

I scratch my head, therefore I am.

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