Atlanta PD helo crashes, two officers dead
11-04-2012, 04:53 AM
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Atlanta PD helo crashes, two officers dead
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two Atlanta police officers were killed when their helicopter crashed shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday night in northwest Atlanta.
The officers, whose names were not released, were assisting with the search for a 9-year-old boy, reported missing around 9 p.m., at the time of the crash and likely flying lower at the time, police Chief George Turner said early Sunday. It was not immediately known what caused the crash.
“The investigation is just beginning,” Turner told reporters around 1:30 a.m. “It is not our investigation at this time.”
Both the FAA and NTSB were investigating the crash early Sunday, Turner said.
The missing child was later found safe, according to police.
The fiery crash happened near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives, near I-20. No injuries were reported on the ground, Turner said.
Traffic was routed away from the crash site for several hours during the investigation. A Georgia Power crew was also called to the scene to assist with power lines believed to have been brought down in the crash.
Turner said a chaplain was meeting with the families of the two killed officers and said the department would offer any available resources to help the survivors. Turner said the entire department was grieving the loss of two officers.
“Anytime I get a call late at night, it’s always a tragic situation,” Turner said. “Losing an officer is the most difficult thing a police chief can face. Losing two is an unthinkable tragedy.”
More information regarding the two officers is expected to be released later Sunday.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed also expressed his sympathies to the officers’ families.
“We mourn these two brave men and offer our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones,” Reed said in an emailed statement. “We also pause to extend our sympathy to the men and women of the police department who place their lives in harm’s way every day to keep our city safe, and who especially feel the pain of this loss.”
The officers killed Saturday night were the second and third Atlanta officers killed this year in the line of duty. In January, Senior Officer Gail Thomas died was arriving at a crash scene to help a fellow officer when she was struck by a drunk driver.
Two Atlanta police officers were killed when their helicopter crashed shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday night in northwest Atlanta.
The officers, whose names were not released, were assisting with the search for a 9-year-old boy, reported missing around 9 p.m., at the time of the crash and likely flying lower at the time, police Chief George Turner said early Sunday. It was not immediately known what caused the crash.
“The investigation is just beginning,” Turner told reporters around 1:30 a.m. “It is not our investigation at this time.”
Both the FAA and NTSB were investigating the crash early Sunday, Turner said.
The missing child was later found safe, according to police.
The fiery crash happened near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives, near I-20. No injuries were reported on the ground, Turner said.
Traffic was routed away from the crash site for several hours during the investigation. A Georgia Power crew was also called to the scene to assist with power lines believed to have been brought down in the crash.
Turner said a chaplain was meeting with the families of the two killed officers and said the department would offer any available resources to help the survivors. Turner said the entire department was grieving the loss of two officers.
“Anytime I get a call late at night, it’s always a tragic situation,” Turner said. “Losing an officer is the most difficult thing a police chief can face. Losing two is an unthinkable tragedy.”
More information regarding the two officers is expected to be released later Sunday.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed also expressed his sympathies to the officers’ families.
“We mourn these two brave men and offer our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones,” Reed said in an emailed statement. “We also pause to extend our sympathy to the men and women of the police department who place their lives in harm’s way every day to keep our city safe, and who especially feel the pain of this loss.”
The officers killed Saturday night were the second and third Atlanta officers killed this year in the line of duty. In January, Senior Officer Gail Thomas died was arriving at a crash scene to help a fellow officer when she was struck by a drunk driver.
11-05-2012, 06:00 AM
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APD wanted helicopter replaced in 2001
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta police helicopter that crashed Saturday night, killing two officers, was a Vietnam War-era chopper that city officials 11 years ago said had outlived its useful life.
Officers Richard J. Halford, 48, and Shawn A. Smiley, 40, were using the helicopter to search for a missing 9-year-old boy when they crashed near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives. The boy was later found safe.
According to Atlanta City Council records from September 2001, the Hughes OH-6 helicopter that crashed was built in 1967 and was used by the U.S. Army until it was donated to the APD in 1996 to assist with the Olympic Games.
Eleven years ago, the APD requested $2.8 million from the City Council to replace the Hughes OH-6 that crashed Saturday night, as well as a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter also operated by the department, saying they “have outlived their useful lives of 25 years.”
The council approved $1,360,425 to replace one of the helicopters, but current FAA records show both aircraft still being used by APD.
The AJC is attempting to contact APD officials to find out whether the $1.36 million was used to purchase another helicopter.
The National Transportation Safety Board is working to determine what caused Saturday night’s fatal crash.
The Atlanta police helicopter that crashed Saturday night, killing two officers, was a Vietnam War-era chopper that city officials 11 years ago said had outlived its useful life.
Officers Richard J. Halford, 48, and Shawn A. Smiley, 40, were using the helicopter to search for a missing 9-year-old boy when they crashed near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives. The boy was later found safe.
According to Atlanta City Council records from September 2001, the Hughes OH-6 helicopter that crashed was built in 1967 and was used by the U.S. Army until it was donated to the APD in 1996 to assist with the Olympic Games.
Eleven years ago, the APD requested $2.8 million from the City Council to replace the Hughes OH-6 that crashed Saturday night, as well as a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter also operated by the department, saying they “have outlived their useful lives of 25 years.”
The council approved $1,360,425 to replace one of the helicopters, but current FAA records show both aircraft still being used by APD.
The AJC is attempting to contact APD officials to find out whether the $1.36 million was used to purchase another helicopter.
The National Transportation Safety Board is working to determine what caused Saturday night’s fatal crash.
11-05-2012, 06:02 AM
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Pole/power line strike
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Investigators searched for answers Sunday after an Atlanta police helicopter crashed late Saturday night and claimed the lives of two officers who were looking for a runaway boy.
The helicopter hit the top of a power line pole and its support cables before falling to the ground, federal government investigators said Sunday.
Ralph Hicks, investigator in charge for the National Transportation Safety Board, said witnesses reported that they heard the sound of a helicopter and saw a flash of light when it hit the pole. Part of the landing gear got stuck in the cables and later was taken down by utility crews.
Hicks said he would not speculate on the cause of the crash, but said that a preliminary report could be available as early as the end of this week. He said that based on precedent, the investigation could take six to nine months to complete.
Earlier, Atlanta Police Department officials identified the two officers killed in the crash which occurred near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives near I-20 on the city’s northwest side as Richard J. Halford, 48, and Shawn A. Smiley, 40.
Halford and Smiley were using the helicopter to search for a missing 9-year-old boy who was later found safe
Halford, of Lithia Springs, joined the APD in May 1986. He had been with the air unit for more than 16 years, serving as a pilot. Halford also has served in APD’s Zone 4 precinct, the motors and DUI units. He is survived by his former wife, and a 21-year-old daughter, according to Atlanta police officials.
Smiley, of Lithonia, joined the APD in October 2010. He joined the air unit earlier this year, serving as a tactical flight officer. He also served in the Department’s Zone 2 precinct. He is survived by his wife and three children, ages 5, 7, and 9.
Trust funds have been set up to benefit the officers’ families through any Wells Fargo bank location, authorities said. Contributions may be made in the name of the officers beginning noon on Monday. Funeral arrangements are pending.
No one on the ground was injured in the crash.
The mother of the 9-year-old boy said she was distraught over the tragedy.
“I just want to tell their families I am so sorry and all I can do is cry,”Amire Shakir Fulford told Channel 2 Action News.
NTSB officials said the aircraft that crashed was a light helicopter manufactured by Hughes. Hicks said it was flying in a northwest direction when it hit the power pole. He said parts of the helicopter were recovered intact and would be examined over the course of the investigation. Investigators have talked with witnesses and will follow-up with them, he said.
Some witnesses at the scene described what they saw.
Ravien Walker told Channel 2, “I noticed something falling out of the sky. It hit the power line and it hit the ground. I jumped out of my car and ran because I was really close to it. It could have fell right down on top of my car.”
Another witness, Darryl James, said, “For that time of night, there was nobody on the street for some odd reason. The helicopter hit in the middle of the street with no traffic.”
James told the Associated Press, “The tail end went down and then there was an explosion.”
Police mourned the loss.
“Anytime I get a call late at night, it’s always a tragic situation,” Atlanta Police Chief George Turner said. “Losing an officer is the most difficult thing a police chief can face. Losing two is an unthinkable tragedy.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed also expressed his sympathies to the officers’ families.
“We mourn these two brave men and offer our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones,” Reed said in an emailed statement. “We also pause to extend our sympathy to the men and women of the police department who place their lives in harm’s way every day to keep our city safe, and who especially feel the pain of this loss.”
The officers killed Saturday night were the second and third Atlanta officers killed this year in the line of duty. In January, Senior Officer Gail Thomas died was arriving at a crash scene to help a fellow officer when she was struck by a drunk driver.
Investigators searched for answers Sunday after an Atlanta police helicopter crashed late Saturday night and claimed the lives of two officers who were looking for a runaway boy.
The helicopter hit the top of a power line pole and its support cables before falling to the ground, federal government investigators said Sunday.
Ralph Hicks, investigator in charge for the National Transportation Safety Board, said witnesses reported that they heard the sound of a helicopter and saw a flash of light when it hit the pole. Part of the landing gear got stuck in the cables and later was taken down by utility crews.
Hicks said he would not speculate on the cause of the crash, but said that a preliminary report could be available as early as the end of this week. He said that based on precedent, the investigation could take six to nine months to complete.
Earlier, Atlanta Police Department officials identified the two officers killed in the crash which occurred near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives near I-20 on the city’s northwest side as Richard J. Halford, 48, and Shawn A. Smiley, 40.
Halford and Smiley were using the helicopter to search for a missing 9-year-old boy who was later found safe
Halford, of Lithia Springs, joined the APD in May 1986. He had been with the air unit for more than 16 years, serving as a pilot. Halford also has served in APD’s Zone 4 precinct, the motors and DUI units. He is survived by his former wife, and a 21-year-old daughter, according to Atlanta police officials.
Smiley, of Lithonia, joined the APD in October 2010. He joined the air unit earlier this year, serving as a tactical flight officer. He also served in the Department’s Zone 2 precinct. He is survived by his wife and three children, ages 5, 7, and 9.
Trust funds have been set up to benefit the officers’ families through any Wells Fargo bank location, authorities said. Contributions may be made in the name of the officers beginning noon on Monday. Funeral arrangements are pending.
No one on the ground was injured in the crash.
The mother of the 9-year-old boy said she was distraught over the tragedy.
“I just want to tell their families I am so sorry and all I can do is cry,”Amire Shakir Fulford told Channel 2 Action News.
NTSB officials said the aircraft that crashed was a light helicopter manufactured by Hughes. Hicks said it was flying in a northwest direction when it hit the power pole. He said parts of the helicopter were recovered intact and would be examined over the course of the investigation. Investigators have talked with witnesses and will follow-up with them, he said.
Some witnesses at the scene described what they saw.
Ravien Walker told Channel 2, “I noticed something falling out of the sky. It hit the power line and it hit the ground. I jumped out of my car and ran because I was really close to it. It could have fell right down on top of my car.”
Another witness, Darryl James, said, “For that time of night, there was nobody on the street for some odd reason. The helicopter hit in the middle of the street with no traffic.”
James told the Associated Press, “The tail end went down and then there was an explosion.”
Police mourned the loss.
“Anytime I get a call late at night, it’s always a tragic situation,” Atlanta Police Chief George Turner said. “Losing an officer is the most difficult thing a police chief can face. Losing two is an unthinkable tragedy.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed also expressed his sympathies to the officers’ families.
“We mourn these two brave men and offer our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones,” Reed said in an emailed statement. “We also pause to extend our sympathy to the men and women of the police department who place their lives in harm’s way every day to keep our city safe, and who especially feel the pain of this loss.”
The officers killed Saturday night were the second and third Atlanta officers killed this year in the line of duty. In January, Senior Officer Gail Thomas died was arriving at a crash scene to help a fellow officer when she was struck by a drunk driver.
11-15-2012, 08:02 AM
#4
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Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,839
NTSB prelim report published
NTSB releases prelim report on police helicopter crash | 11alive.com
911 tapes also included on the site. Emphasises the confusion after a mishap.
USMCFLYR
NTSB releases prelim report on police helicopter crash | 11alive.com
911 tapes also included on the site. Emphasises the confusion after a mishap.
USMCFLYR
11-19-2012, 08:40 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,839
Police helo mishap on the other coast. 
RN-T.com - 6 injured as police helicopters collide in LA area
USMCFLYR
RN-T.com - 6 injured as police helicopters collide in LA area
USMCFLYR
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