aircraft & health & safety firegeezer on 06 Aug 2008 05:12 pm
Forestry Helicopter Crashes, 9 Believed Dead
LATE REPORTS COMING IN ARE SAYING THAT A Sikorski S-61 helicopter crashed in a remote area near Redding, California.
Earlier today it was learned that the craft had crashed last night leaving four people seriously injured. However later today it was discovered that the helicopter was ferrying a fire crew of 11 forestry firefighters and 2 crewmen. The plane suffered a hard crash and burned on impact.
Nine of the people onboard were killed and of the four survivors, two are in critical condition with all four of them suffering severe burns. They were working a wildfire in Trinity County, part of a larger complex of blazes that total 135 square miles. Officials said the complex was about 87 percent contained.
According to KCBS-TV, The Sikorsky S-61 helicopter is the only wildland firefighting helicopter in the nation equipped to simultaneously carry both water and crew. It can simultaneously carry up to 18 firefighters and drop up to 1,000 gallons of water via a suspended bucket.
A Carson Helicopters S-61
similar to the one that crashed.
Cal Fire uses the aircraft to provide initial attack support on fires throughout California and to support firefighting efforts nationwide. The helicopter was contracted out by a company named Carson Helicopters. The company is based out of Grants Pass, Oregon.
KCRA Ch. 3 Sacramento has a video showing the type of helicopter that crashed HERE.
STATter911 is keeping up with the latest dispatches HERE.
Carson Helicopters WEBSITE.
This brief video shows the S-61 at work:
