U.S. Grand Canyon helicopter crash kills three - report

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U.S. Grand Canyon helicopter crash kills three - report

 

(Reuters) - A tourist helicopter crashed in the United States' Grand Canyon on Saturday, killing three people and injuring four others, Arizona media and a federal aviation spokesman said.

 

The helicopter was on a tour of the canyon, one of the top U.S. tourist destinations and more than a mile (1.6 km) deep, when it went down, a dispatcher for the Hualapai Department of Emergency Services told Phoenix television station KNXV.

 

He said three people were killed and four had unknown injuries, and that authorities were possibly looking for one or two more people, the station reported.

 

The Hualapai Department of Emergency Services directed calls to police, who did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

 

The helicopter, an Eurocopter EC130 from Airbus, "crashed under unknown circumstances in the Grand Canyon" and suffered substantial damage, Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an email.

 

"Local authorities say that at least seven people were on board the helicopter," he said. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, Kenitzer said.

 

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-12

[anon537687643]

Ah looks very appealing flying over the canyon with spectacular views! The last thing you’ll ever see!


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[BwindiBoy]

When we went there, the pilot let the 7 year old boy sitting next to him take control of the helicopter for a couple of minutes!!  No bull.  I was very uncomfortable with it and really should have said something, especially when he said, "No, it's not like a joystick on an arcade game,  You don't need to move it as much."  or something VERY similar.  I sat there with visions of newspaper headlines along the lines of "Mystery Helicopter plunge kills 7 plus pilot"!  I hope those alive pull through...and are able to provide some detail as to how this happened.

[KKr]

1 hour ago, markaoffy said:

Ah looks very appealing flying over the canyon with spectacular views! The last thing you’ll ever see!

it is a gorgeous experience and worth doing this trip.
(one time had a retired rescue helicopter pilot, excellent flight.)
except when they go down of course. may they RIP or recover soon.

[Stargeezr]

I enjoyed a flight over the west Grande Canyon in a C172, and we got dive bombed by a competitor, who came from behind and above, flew over us at less than 20 feet to dive below and in front.

I took pictures, and gave them to the police, who went after the other company. Nice scenery, but I did not need or like the idiot who could have wrecked all of our days. The view from the South rim is also

spectacular. RIP to those who died , and a good recovery to the rest.

Geezer

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Britons killed in Grand Canyon helicopter crash named

 

Three British tourists killed in a helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon have been named by US police.

 

Becky Dobson, 27, Jason Hill, 32, and Stuart Hill, 30, died in Saturday's crash, the Hualapai Nation Police Department said.

 

Three other Britons and the pilot were injured when the helicopter, on a tour of the canyon, came down at about 17:20 local time (00:20 GMT) in Arizona.

 

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43025793

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2018-02-12