Helicopter crashes on table-top mountain in Venezuela, killing 5

2012-01-22 04:39:41 GMT+7 (ICT)

CARACAS, VENEZUELA (BNO NEWS) -- Rescue workers have found the bodies of five people who were on board a tour helicopter which crashed on a table-top mountain in Venezuela on Thursday, officials said on early Saturday morning.

The Civil Protection and Disaster Administration (PCAD) said the tour helicopter crashed on Thursday on the Auyantepui Mountain peak, which is located in Canaima National Park in the state of Bolivar.

The Bell Long Ranger 206 helicopter was carrying a pilot and four passengers on a tour route between the Wonken area and Canaima camp in the municipality of Gran Saban. PCAD Director José García said two helicopters found the aircraft on Friday.

Due to bad weather, combined with the high altitude of the crash site, rescue workers were unable to recover the bodies on Friday. Officials said the aircraft is on its roof with the five bodies still trapped inside. The pilot was identified as Henry Francisco Viana Arcia.

The name Auyantepui translates to 'Devil's Mountain' in the Pemon language and became famous in the 1930s when U.S. pilot Jimmie Angel discovered Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall which is part of the Auyantepui. Angel's small plane crashed on Auyantepui and he as well as his three crew members were forced to descend the mountain on foot, taking them 11 days.

Angel's aircraft, El Río Caroní, remained atop Auyantepui until 1970, when it was disassembled into parts and lifted down by Venezuelan military helicopters.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-22

^{Table top? Do they mean "mesa"? Is there a mesa atop Angel Falls?}

^{Table top? Do they mean "mesa"? Is there a mesa atop Angel Falls?}

Many Americans refer to a flat (table top) geological flat surface which is at a higher elevation than the sorrounding land mass as a mesa. The water source which results in the creation of Angel Falls does come from what many would refer to as a mesa.

Auyantepui is a giant among the large plateaus. It covers an area of 700 km² (270 sq mi) and its highest point is 2,535 meters (8,317 ft) high.