2010 Antarctica helicopter crash

2010 Antarctica helicopter crash

Accident summary
Date	28 October, 2010
Type	Crash
Site	Roughly 100kms from Dumont d'Urville Station, Antarctica
Passengers	3
Crew	1
Fatalities	4
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Eurocopter AS350
Operator	French Polar Institute[1]
Tail number	unknown
Flight origin	French icebreaker Astrolabe
Destination	Dumont d'Urville Station

The 2010 Antarctica helicopter crash was an incident which occurred on the 28 October, 2010 approximetly 100 kms from the French research base Dumont d'Urville Station. All 4 aboard the chopper (1 pilot, 3 passengers) were killed. ^[2]

[edit] Incident

The Eurocopter AS350 had taken off from the French research ship L'Astrolabe approximately 370 kilometers north-east of the Dumont d'Urville Research Station, however contact was lost, and a distress beacon was activated later that day,^[3] triggering a rescue response including the Royal Australian Air Force and American personnel out of nearby McMurdo Station.^[4]

Bad weather hampered rescue efforts but a RAAF C-130 Hercules spotted the crash site with at least 3 bodies seen at the scene on the Friday. ^[5] A French helicopter with a doctor on-board from Dumont d'Urville touched down soon later, and confirmed all 4 on board were deceased. This was later confirmed by the AMSA.^[6]

[edit] Response

• - Valerie Pecresse, French minster for higher education and research, expressed her condolences to the families of the crash victims in a statement and praised their achievements supporting scientific research in Antarctica.^[7]

[edit] References

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