Helicopter knocks out cable car, killing nine.

On 10 Sep 2005 14:51:48 -0700, Flyingmonk wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4216052.stm

Alps cable car crash kills nine

The cable cars take visitors up to glaciers

the glacier is used as a skiing resort. it is about 1 or 1.5 hours drive by
car from my place.

At least nine people have been killed and several others injured in a
cable car accident in the Austrian Alps.

this was NOT a calbe car accident.

A helicopter dropped a concrete block onto the cables, causing at least
one car to fall and others to swing violently, local media said.


the helicopter hauled concrete in a big - hmm .... what'S the right word? -
in a big iron bin for constuction work. the helicopter lost the bin (the
cable was OK, but the connecting anchor got loose. Investigations are under
way to check if it was the pilots fault (not very likely at the moment) or
if there was a mechanical fault. the system is held electronically and
machanically.

Some passengers were said to have been knocked out of their cabin when
the cables were hit. Most of the victims were reported to be tourists.


IIRC the bin full of concrete hit one cabin. other cabins and the rest of
the system was hit due to the swinging calbes.

The accident happened in Soelden, a ski resort in the western Tirol.


correct.

Seven people were injured five of whom were in critical condition,
according to the Red Cross.

More than 35 rescuers and several helicopters were involved in the
relief operation.

this is a big tourism region, so they put all ressources into action.


The cable car company said a 750kg (1,650lb) block fell from a height
of 300m (1,000ft).

The block was being transported for use in the construction of a
telecommunications line.

this cable car had an accident about 2 years ago and the authorities orderd
some improvements. this helicopter flight was part of these improvements.

The cable cars take visitors up to the glaciers on the peaks above the
village for excursions or summer skiing.

The cable car line is about 2km (1,5 miles) long, with a 650 metre
vertical ascent, and each car holds up to eight people.

The stricken route climbs to the 3,309-metre (10,919ft) Schwarze
Schneid peak in the Oetztal area.

funny names, huh? :-))


Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

martin

--
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Martin Hotze wrote:

the helicopter hauled concrete in a big - hmm .... what'S the right word? -
in a big iron bin for constuction work.

I would guess this was a dump bucket. Tubular container about 1.5 meters high
and 1.5 meters in diameter with an open top and a tapered bottom? There's a
lever to open up the bottom and let the contents out. We used them on
construction jobs in Atlanta, only we used cranes instead of choppers.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.