WFP Helicopter Makes Forced Landing in Manchar Lake

[Abbas Ali]

OCTOBER 1, 2010 - A Mil Mi-8MTV-1 helicopter registered in Russia as RA-25455, operating relief flights in markings of United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) - www.wfp.org - for flood affected people in Pakistan made forced landing in Manchar Lake, Dadu District, Sindh, after experiencing some technical fault.

There are reports of seven people who got inujured due to crash landing. Fortunately no fatalities.

The crahsed helicpter is obviously a write off. Apparently tail section broke off during crash landing.













Source: www.samaa.tv

[Abbas Ali]

UN chopper on Pakistan food drop makes hard landing

by Hasan Mansoor Hasan Mansoor – Fri Oct 1,

KARACHI (AFP) – A UN helicopter distributing food aid to victims of Pakistan's devastating floods and carrying 13 people made a hard landing on water Friday causing injuries, Pakistani and UN officials said.

No one was killed or critically injured in the incident, which happened in the Dadu area of southern Pakistan's Sindh province, where torrential monsoon rains have caused massive floods in the country's worst humanitarian disaster.

The Russian-built Mi-8 UN helicopter made a "forced landing" in water at 8:40 am (0340 GMT), World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Barry Came told AFP.

Pakistanis and foreigners were on the aircraft, including Pakistani boy scouts, although they were not thought to be among the injured.

"We're extremely relieved there were no deaths, but there have been injuries. We have 13 on board. There were no critical injuries.

"A rescue helicopter is on its way and will take the injured to Karachi," the WFP spokesman told AFP.

Iqbal Memon, a local Pakistani administration official, told AFP: "Due to some technical fault, the helicopter tried to make an emergency landing on an embankment and then it slipped into the water".

Ghazi Salahuddin, the Dadu district police chief, said seven people sustained minor injuries and would be taken to Karachi for treatment.

"We are now trying to secure and recover the helicopter," he said.

The incident happened north of Manchar lake. Villages in the area are still flooded and access is impossible by road, making air drops the only means for local people to receive food, officials said.

Source: Yahoo! News

[Abbas Ali]

Lahore, October 1, 2010: PIA is airlifting Relief goods free of cost and providing voluntary support for easy distribution of relief goods in the flood affected areas. PIA spokesman said here on Friday.

PIA’s Emergency Response staff and PIA Boy Scouts in collaboration with United Nations World Food Program are distributing Food Boxes which are being delivered through WFP Helicopters in the flood affected areas of Sindh.

At 0840 hours, Friday morning a helicopter of WFP, flying at low altitude met an accident and fell in flood water near Pir Manchar in Sindh.

Two members, one each of PIA’s Emergency Response staff and of PIA Boy Scouts were in the Helicopter when the incident took place. Both members namely; Mr. Zubair and Mr. Safeer are safe including other individuals in the Helicopter.

Source: PIA Press Release

[Abbas Ali]

Source: www.ptvworldnews.com.pk

[Abbas Ali]

Photo in today's (October 2) newspaper.


Source: epaper.dawn.com

[Pineapple]

Bad crash. A total write off but I think the engines can be pulled out and used for spare parts in other helicopters.

[Adnan Anwar]

Hope all occupants and people in the vicinity are ok.

The Mi-17 looks like a total loss, maybe the engine can be recovered.

[Abbas Ali]

The unlucky Mil Mi-8MTV-1 helicopter (registration RA-25455) of United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) photographed at Jinnah International Air Port (JIAP), Karachi, on September 17, 2010.


Click here to see large photo.

Abbas