British tourists killed in US helicopter crash
Six sightseers and pilot were on aircraft when it came down on rocks in remote part of beauty spot
Three British tourists were killed when their sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Grand Canyon. The Foreign Office and local police confirmed the deaths last night and said three other Britons were being treated for injuries in a Nevada hospital. Six passengers and a pilot were aboard the helicopter when it crashed into jagged rocks by the Grand Canyon’s West Rim on Saturday. Emergency workers said it went down in a particularly inaccessible area.
THREE British tourists were killed when their sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Grand Canyon at the weekend. The Foreign Office and the local police chief confirmed the deaths last night and said three other Britons were being treated for injuries in a Nevada hospital.
Six passengers and a pilot were aboard the Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters aircraft when it crashed into jagged rocks by the Grand Canyon’s West Rim on Saturday. The helicopter had taken off from Boulder City, Arizona, for the routine sightseeing tour.
Emergency workers said it went down in an inaccessible area, making rescue efforts hazardous. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are providing support to the families of six British visitors involved in a helicopter accident at the Grand Canyon, and we are in close contact with US emergency services.”
Darkness, windy conditions and the remoteness of the area made it difficult for rescuers to reach the wreckage. Crews had to be flown in and the survivors were airlifted to hospital.
Teddy Fujimoto, a photographer, had been photographing a wedding when he heard cries of shock as onlookers saw the helicopter plunge to the ground. He ran to the edge of the canyon and saw wreckage strewn around the boulders 600ft below. “In the gulch, there was a helicopter, flames, smoke,” he said. “It was horrible.” He added that several explosions rocked what was left of the helicopter and he could see one of the victims badly burned.
Francis Bradley, Hualapai Nation Police chief, said the rescue operation was hampered by high winds and darkness on Saturday night. “First responders had to be flown in and walk to the crash site,” he said. “Quartermaster Canyon is an extremely remote area. We had to call in specially trained crews – people with night-vision goggles.”
Crash investigators were on the scene yesterday to look into what brought down the Eurocopter EC130. It was too early to speculate on the cause of the crash, said Mr Bradley.
Brenda Halvorson, Papillion Group chief executive, said: “It is with extreme sadness we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families involved in this accident. Our top priority is the care and needs of our passengers and our staff.” The Nevada-based company’s website says it flies 600,000 passengers a year around the canyon and on other tours. It notes that it “abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration.”
In August 2001, a Grand Canyon tour helicopter operated by Papillion crashed near Meaview, Arizona. The pilot and five passengers died. An investigation concluded that the accident was caused by the pilot’s decision to descend too fast and too close to cliffs.