One Fatality, Four Injured When Helicopter Went Down Thanksgiving Day

The Civil Aviation Ministry of the Bahamas has issued a statement resulting from its preliminary investigation of an accident which occurred Thanksgiving Day on Great Guana Cay, Abaco. The accident fatally injured a U.S. businessman, and resulted in the serious injury of four others on board the aircraft, including the pilot.

According to the official statement:

“On Thursday, November 22, 2012 at approximately 1:10PM EST, an AS355F1 Helicopter registration C6-APV, manufactured by Aerospatiale Eurocopter Group, departed Marsh Harbour International Airport with five [5] persons onboard. While attempting to land, control was lost, resulting in the helicopter crash-landing at Baker’s Bay Golf and Ocean Club, Great Guana Cay, Abaco.
 
"The crash took the life of one [1] passenger and left the remaining four [4] passengers with injuries of varying severity. The surviving passengers were rescued and stabilised prior to being transported to Marsh Harbour for further evaluations prior to being airlifted to South Florida [3 persons] and Nassau [1 person].
 
"On Friday, November 23, 2012 the Bahamas Civil Aviation Department dispatched a team of three [3] investigators from the Air Accident Investigation Prevention Unit to the accident scene. Upon arrival, members of the Baker’s Bay Golf and Ocean Club and Royal Bahamas Police Force provided a detailed briefing to the Aircraft Accident Investigators, prior to handing over control of the scene. The Bahamas Police Force had responded shortly after the accident, taken control of the site and secured it up to that point.
 
"The Air Accident Investigation Prevention Unit completed its on-site field investigations, recovered the wreckage and later relocated the wreckage to a secure location. In keeping with the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Bahamas Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, manufacturers of the airframe, engine and propeller and the State of Design have been notified of the accident.
 
"The Air Accident Investigation Prevention Unit is presently coordinating plans for additional analysis and testing to determine the cause and contributing factors of this accident”.

FMI: www.bahamas.gov.bs