Premium Only Content

helicopter bursts into flames at French lighthouse
helicopter bursts into flames at French lighthouse
A helicopter pilot diced with death off the French coast Wednesday when it suddenly nose-dived towards a rocky outcrop in a flash of flames while approaching a lighthouse.
The helicopter was flying towards the Vielle Lighthouse, which is undergoing renovations, half a mile off France's most westerly point of Pointe du Raz in the region of Finistère.
Video of the moment shows a crystal clear day with the chopper glinting in the sun as it nears the stately structure to deliver and remove equipment.
There seems to be an unexpected release from the front of the helicopter and it suddenly lurches wildly into a heart stopping ninety degree angle before diving.
It loses altitude catastrophically as the rocks close in but the pilot manages to bring it back level and avert an immediate crash.
A cloud of smoke ejects from the rotors and floods over the rocky outcrop but by this time the helicopter is gaining altitude and seems to be back under control.
The float on the right landing skid inflates but by this time the proximity to the sea is receding.
The pilot was severely shaken but unhurt, while an on-site lighthouse employee working on the maintenance was hit by a crate , France Bleu report.
He was taken to Cavale Blanche hospital in Brest and released on Thursday afternoon.
The cause of the sudden near-death malfunction is not known, with social media users speculating that the helicopter might have encountered wine shear, which is described as a sudden change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance, which could have dragged the nose of the helicopter to pitch downwards.
Others speculated that the helicopter was carrying equipment by a cable, and the rear capable snapped, causing the end of the helicopter to rise suddenly.
Either way, they put the aversion of a fatal accident down to the skill and quick reflexes of the pilot.
Mont Blanc Hélicoptères Bretagne, which operates the helicopter, have opened an investigation, while the Brest BGTA, the Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade has opened a judicial investigation.
Hervé Berville, Secretary of State for the Sea, also indicated the opening of an administrative investigation.
-
LIVE
Inverted World Live
3 hours agoHaunted Dolls Hack Amazon Alexa | Ep. 98
16,006 watching -
LIVE
Laura Loomer
3 hours agoEP140: Loomer EXPOSES Islamification At US State Department
827 watching -
TimcastIRL
3 hours agoTrump Floats Accepting 600,000 Chinese Student Visas, MAGA Uproar | Timcast IRL
146K90 -
DVR
SpartakusLIVE
8 hours ago$20,000 Hide and Seek Tourney w/ Stonemountain64 || #1 Rat wins the BIG CHEESE
42.2K -
2:34:02
Barry Cunningham
4 hours agoLISA COOK | ADAM SCHIFF | LETITIA JAMES | ARE THEY BEING SACRIFICED BY THE DEEP STATE?
53.5K34 -
DVR
Flyover Conservatives
12 hours agoOnly 17% of Millennials Hit These 5 Adult Milestones—Why?; What If Childhood Trauma Is Behind Your Health Problems? - Dr. Troy Spurrill | FOC Show
10.1K2 -
4:49:04
HogansAlleyHero
14 hours ago💥CHASING DOPAMINE💥✅TRUMP SAYS BATTLEFIELD IS THE BEST✅
12.9K -
1:57:40
MattMorseTV
4 hours ago $6.62 earned🔴Trump just SHATTERED the PROJECTIONS.🔴
34.3K25 -
2:32:19
megimu32
3 hours agoOTS: From Star Search to Superstardom
18.8K4 -
1:56:21
Joker Effect
2 hours agoInterviewing GREENMAN! Looks like he is coming to Rumble! Let's give him a warm welcome! REAL TALENT
10.4K1