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Two people are dead after a helicopter crashed at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California
Two people are dead after a helicopter crashed at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, officials confirmed. Witness Marlena Niemann posted a video of the scene to Twitter, saying she saw the helicopter spin out of control, hit the ground and explode. Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Plane-Crashes-at-Palomar-Airport--351555541.html#ixzz3rtlVtaok Follow us: @nbcsandiego on Twitter | NBCSanDiego on Facebook (www.nbcsandiego.com) Altro...
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Some of the comments in the article indicate the people they were talking to knew little about flying and I really wonder if the were pilots at all or just some gawkers.
"They didn’t chock my cart. It was like a skateboard out here,” said Bruce Erickson to air traffic controllers moments before his helicopter began spinning out of control.
Of course the official cause won't be known for awhile but those last words paint a pretty good picture.
Of course the official cause won't be known for awhile but those last words paint a pretty good picture.
I imagine the centrifugal force prevented the pilots reaching the fuel shut-off or rotor brake, if equipped, but as a retired FF I am surprised they didn't foam the craft as a preventive measure before the fire consumed the occupants.
Home airport, sad to see. I'm wondering which part of the accident caused the fatalities since the helicopter is largely intact.
Probably the fire. May have been unconscious from the primary impact, would explain the lack of recovery attempt. The investigators will figure it out.
The video shows a Fire Rescue truck nearby while the helicopter's fuselage is spinning on the ground, and there is no sign of fire. I would think they got the fire out very quickly once it started, and that the fatal injuries were caused by the impact.
Come to think of it, they could also have been hit by the rotor blades once they contacted the ground and separated.
