“We understand from local authorities that the helicopter wreckage has been found,” said Mayo Clinic spokesperson Layne Smith.

Reports say the aircraft departed the Jacksonville hospital around 5:45 am but never arrived in Gainesville, about 60 miles southwest.

“It was discovered in Clay County, Florida, near Green Cove Springs, which is about midway between Jacksonville and Gainesville,” Smith said.

Along with the Pilot, whose identity has not been released as of yet, two Mayo Clinic employees on there way to pick up a heart for a transplant were killed in the tragic helicopter crash.

“The medical team consisted of Mayo Clinic cardiac surgeon Luis Bonilla, M.D., and procurement technician David Hines,” the Clinic said in a statement. “No patients were on board.”

Mayo Clinic added that they were working internally to support the family and employees of those lost in the tragedy and that an investigation into what caused the crash had already been launched by the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA.

via Fox News

Florida Helicopter Crash Kills Pilot, 2 Mayo Clinic Workers is a post from: The Inquisitr

A luxury sunset tour by helicopter of the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam ended tragically last night as the helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain. The pilot and all four passengers were killed in the crash.

National Park Service spokesman Andrew Munoz said that the helicopter, operated by Sundance Helicopters, crashed into the side of the River Mountains surrounding Lake Mead. The crash occurred just before 5 p.m.

The Huffington Post reports that the helicopter crash occurred at a remote site about 30 miles from the Las Vegas strip. Rescue workers weren’t able to get to the crash site, since it wasn’t accessible by road, until early Thursday morning.

A Sundance Helicopters spokesman said that the helicopter was giving a local tour when it went missing. The spokesman didn’t give any other details. Times Leader reports that the 30-minute “Twilight City Tour” brings people over downtown Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam and the Las Vegas Strip for $210 per person.

The FAA is currently investigating the incident. According to the FAA, the helicopter that crashed near the Hoover Dam was an AS-350 that was built in 1989.

Sundance’s website says:

“All our helicopters are maintained with exacting precision and our pilots are trained then retrained with ongoing recertification in excess of FAA requirements.”

Sundance Helicopters has had accidents in the past, however. In 2003, six passengers were killed when a helicopter crashed in the Grand Canyon. Sundance says it has a 23-helicopter fleet that serves more than 160,000 passengers annually.

Here’s a news report about the Hoover Dam helicopter crash.

The FAA hasn’t determined the cause of the accident. According to the Times Leader, the weather was mostly clear with winds at 5 mph.

Hoover Dam Helicopter Crash Kills Five is a post from: The Inquisitr

Putting up a Christmas tree may not seem like a dangerous task, but tell that to New Zealand helicopter pilot Greg Gribble. Gribble was nearly killed while installing the Telecom Christmas tree. Gribble’s helicopter ran into a nearby cable while trying to install a giant Christmas tree and crashed to the ground in Auckland’s crowded Viaduct Basin. Gribble miraculously walked away from the crash.

Here’s the video of the helicopter crash.

Auckland Now reports that Gribble, who works forAuckland firm Helisika Helicopters, didn’t suffer any serious injuries in the crash. Gribble was, however, a little shell shocked after the incident.

His wife, Elaine, said:

”He’s just been sitting in the chair, shell-shocked. He’s very, very lucky, God was on his side there.”

The Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into the helicopter crash. Gribble’s crash occurred just a few yards away from workers, bystanders, and multi-million dollar luxury yachts.

Helicopter Crash Leaves Pilot Shaken, But Alive [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to CNN, the casualties included 25 Navy SEALs, 22 of which belonged to SEAL Team 6, the elite unit that carried out the raid in Pakistan this spring that killed Osama bin Laden.

Although none of the specific individuals on the raid against the Al Qaeda leader were on the helicopter that went down, the casualties are a major blow for the close-knit and secretive unit only months after it carried out the greatest victory in its history.

In addition to the 31 Americans, officials said that there were seven Afghan army soldiers and a canine on the helicopter.

Despite the fact that the Taliban have claimed to have shot the helicopter down, U.S. officials have only identified the attackers as insurgents.

“They wanted to attack our mujahideen who were in a house, but our mujahideen resisted and destroyed a helicopter with a RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) rocket,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Saturday’s deaths bring the total number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan to 334 this year, according to the Associated Press.

Following the devastating loss, President Obama offered his condolences to the families of the Americans and Afghans who died in the attack.

“Their death is a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifice made by the men and women of our military and their families,” Obama said. We will draw inspiration from their lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied.”

Here is a clip covering the story courtesy of ABC News:

via CNN
Image Source: Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press

25 Navy SEALs Killed in NATO Helicopter Crash is a post from: The Inquisitr

18 people aboard a helicopter that crashed off Scotland have survived due to a safety device that allowed the helicopter to float.

The Super Puma helicopter ditched about 120 miles (193kms) east of Aberdeen while approaching an offshore oil platform.

The helicopter managed to land in the water upright and stayed afloat due to a safety feature that deploys inflatable bags when a Super Puma lands on water.

Safety experts are referring to the crash as being similar to the Miracle on the Hudson crash last month, where a US Airways A320 crash landed on the Hudson River.

The Super Puma Helicopter, also known as the Eurocopter Super Puma is manufactured by French aerospace company Aérospatiale. First manufactured in 1978, the Super Puma has a remarkably strong safety record, with only three known incidents until todays crash. Of the past three incidents, only one included a loss of life, and the other two both involved ditching on water. The Super Puma is used as both a military and civilian helicopter. The helicopter that crashed today is owned by Bond Offshore Helicopters, a company specializing in transport to oil rigs in the North Sea.

18 survive UK Helicopter crash: Super Pumas can float is a post from: The Inquisitr

An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Monday afternoon at the campus of Texas A&M University, killing one person and injuring four others.

The Helicopter was being used as part of training exercises near the Corps of Cadets field on the school’s College Station campus. No one on the ground was hurt.

Reports say two of the crash victims are in a critical condition. On board the craft were four members of the Army National Guard and one staff member from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

Witnesses say the helicopter lost control shortly after lift off, crashing into the ground. Debris coved the field and neighboring streets.

Blackhawk Helicopter Crash on Texas A&M Campus Kills One is a post from: The Inquisitr

The helicopter operated by PHI Inc crashed Sunday in southern Louisiana, killing 8 people. Miraculously reports suggest one person survived the crash.

The Phi helicopter was en route to an offshore oil platform and crashed 7 minutes after takeoff around 100 miles southwest of New Orleans in the Bayou Penchant area.

This is the second Phi Helicopter crash this year, with a Phi Air Medical helicopter crashing in Texas in June 2008, killing four people.

The cause of the Phi helicopter crash is not known, but the Sikorsky S-76C is fitted with a voice recorder aboard and possibly a flight data recorder, so the cause may be found by investigators.

The single survivor was transported to a medical facility in suburban New Orleans, and was last reported as being in a critical condition.

The identities of the victims were not released.

Phi Helicopter Crash Kills 8 is a post from: The Inquisitr