Mechanical error may have caused ski crash
A HELICOPTER crash in Switzerland that killed three people may have been caused by a mechanical error, according to a well-known local British ski coach with knowledge of the accident.
Warren Smith, who has taught the Duke of Sussex, Claudia Schiffer and James Blunt, told The Telegraph that the Alpine village was in “mourning” after the shocking incident, in which a helicopter carrying skiers up to a mountain peak above Verbier crashed and triggered a 500m avalanche on Tuesday.
Three British skiers miraculously survived after one, Edward Courage, pushed two brothers, Teddy and Guy Hutchings, from the Air Glaciers helicopter as it tumbled from the summit.
Speaking from Verbier, Mr Smith who runs heliski camps out of Verbier and Canada’s British Columbia, said it was a “miracle” the three Britons survived. The other three people in the helicopter died, including the pilot Jerome Lovey, skier James Goff and their guide Adam George.
An investigation is ongoing, with authorities still working to retrieve the helicopter’s black box.
“It is all a bit raw,” said Mr Smith. “We haven’t seen any technical information so I can’t comment on the cause of the crash but it is believed that it may have been mechanical error.”
“We don’t know what the hell happened. It was a bluebird day – blue skies, sun, fresh powder, low winds. The perfect conditions for heliskiing, usually. But it had been very stormy with very high winds a couple of days before and a lot of fresh snow fall. It could have been a skier’s or pilot’s worst nightmare.
“It is devastating but I can say that it is a miracle the three survived. In helicopter crashes survivors are rare.”
The brothers have been released from hospital. Mr Courage remains in intensive care, awaiting surgery for broken bones.
Mr Smith said: “Adam was an incredible guy. Many of the community are family, friends and colleagues of those injured and who have lost their lives for years and years. These families are at the heart of our community.”
The group was on a heliski day trip aboard an Air Glaciers B3-type helicopter. They were due to be dropped at the top of Petit Combin mountain, a popular heliski route in the Valais region near Verbier.
Mr Smith said he had worked with Air Glaciers, the company that ran the trip, for 20 years and it was “super safe”.
He said: “I personally have never seen any accidents. You know of them. But we’ve never had one incident in 20 years. That is why I am in shock.”
Swiss village mourns as three killed, with ‘miracle’ escape from helicopter for three British skiers