A Midtnorsk Helikopterservice Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil helicopter (registration LN-OBP) crashed just outside the centre of Verdal, Trøndelag, on Tuesday morning. Two people have died, and one person, the pilot, has been sent to a hospital.
“The aircraft crashed in a field 150 metres from the nearest road,” says service unit leader in Innherred, Snorre Haugdahl. “The two who died were passengers on board the helicopter.” The two deceased are a man and a woman in their 60s. Both are Norwegian citizens. Relatives have been notified.
“What we are doing now is that the police carry out forensic investigations, together with the Air Accident Investigation Board, to uncover the cause of the accident,” says Haugdahl. The inspectors from the AAIB will work to get an overview of the accident site, secure traces and talk to those who were involved in the accident as soon as they arrive in Verdal.
In addition, one person has been seriously injured and sent to St. Olav’s hospital, the police chief, Stig Viken, told NRK. There was also a dog in the helicopter that is alive and taken to a vet.
It was 10:42 when the police received a report about the accident. The area is now cordoned off, pending the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the police’s crime technicians to start investigations.
Rescue crews were quickly on the scene after the accident was reported.
There was a lot of fog in the area when the crash happened. According to a neighbour in the area, there was very poor visibility at the site. There was no wind, but dense fog in the area when the helicopter went down. The fog lifted quickly after the accident.
Flight commander in Midtnorsk Helikopterservice, Tor Krogstad, confirms to NRK that it was one of their helicopters that was involved in the accident.
Rescue personnel arrived quickly on the scene, and life-saving measures were immediately initiated. “We also had the help of a tractor to lift up the hull in order to free a person who was trapped.”
According to Flight Radar, Sar Queen has tried to land at the site several times, without success.
Source: NRK TV, VG, Aviation Safety Network
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