A collection of sublime images from embedded journalist Michael Yon of what happens when helicopters fly through dust storms. Lightning bolts arcing around the blades are thought to be created by static electricity arising from friction between two dissimilar materials - in this case the metal blades and the sand. Yon coined the term "Kopp-Etchells Effect", named for two soldiers killed in Afghanistan.A collection of sublime images from embedded journalist Michael Yon of what happens... more
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Drug Enforcement Administration personnel were among 14 Americans killed in two helicopter crashes in Afghanistan on Monday, said a U.S. military official with access to information about the crash.
The official did not know how many DEA personnel were killed. Three of the American dead were civilians. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said that in all, 10 people died in one incident and four in the other.
It was the largest number of Americans killed in Afghanistan in a single day in more than four years, according to CNN records.
ISAF ruled out enemy fire in the crash that killed four Americans and said that enemy action was not thought to be the cause of the other.
In the deadlier crash, a helicopter went down in the west of the country after a raid on suspected drug traffickers. Seven U.S. service members and three U.S. civilians were killed, according to an ISAF statement. Fourteen Afghan service members, 11 U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were injured in the crash.
The American civilians who died were members of the "U.S. Embassy community," according to the embassy in Kabul.
The helicopter was returning from a raid on a compound, ISAF had said earlier.
The joint international security force killed more than a dozen enemy fighters while searching a compound, ISAF said. The site was thought to harbor insurgents tied to narcotics trafficking in western Afghanistan.
The militants were killed in a firefight when insurgents confronted the joint force.
As the force was leaving, a helicopter "went down due to unconfirmed reasons," ISAF said. A recovery operation was launched.
In Monday's other deadly crash, four U.S. service members were killed when two helicopters apparently collided in the air in southern Afghanistan. Two other NATO service members were injured.
"The incident is currently being investigated, but it is confirmed that hostile fire was not involved," ISAF said in an earlier news release.Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Drug Enforcement Administration personnel were among 14... more
KABUL — Two helicopter crashes killed 14 American troops and civilians in Afghanistan on Monday in one of the blackest days for the United States since its 2001 invasion, officials said.
As anti-US protests erupted in Kabul over the alleged burning of a Koran, Afghan President Hamid Karzai also questioned Washington's commitment to the war-torn nation ahead of a run-off election in less than a fortnight.
Following a first round riddled with fraud, Karzai's presidential rival Abdullah Abdullah called for the head of the country's election commission to be sacked.
The deadlier of the two chopper crashes was in western Badghis province where seven troops and three civilians were killed. The NATO-led force in Afghanistan said enemy fire was not believed to be the cause.
The Taliban said, however, it was behind the downing of the helicopter and claimed 14 Afghan civilians were killed in a subsequent aerial bombardment by the foreign force.
The Islamist militia also claimed to have caused a mid-air collision in the south of the country which NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said had killed four American soldiers.
"Four ISAF service members were killed and two others injured in the incident," it said. Two helicopters apparently collided mid-air and the cause was being investigated but no hostile fire was involved, it added.
...More...KABUL — Two helicopter crashes killed 14 American troops and civilians in... more
This was a very ingenious way to to publicize the Nikon’s new COOLPIX S1000pj which has an inbuilt projector so you can project photos you’ve just taken onto any surface.This was a very ingenious way to to publicize the Nikon’s new COOLPIX S1000pj which... more
(CNN) -- Twelve people, including two police officers, were killed Saturday in a gun battle between two rival drug gangs in a slum in northern Rio de Janeiro, a state spokesman said.
The spokesman, Marcos Benjamin, did not say who the other victims were.
He said the officers died when their helicopter was shot down over the neighborhood known as Morro dos Macacos. Residents set eight buses on fire during the clashes in an attempt to divert the attention of police, Benjamin said.
The violence comes two weeks after Rio, Brazil's second largest city, celebrated winning the 2016 Olympic Games.
Tarso Genro, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, told Record TV that the government would make resources available to "continue this fight."
Sergio Cabral, governor of Rio de Janeiro state, where Rio is located, told the network he was "very sad" over the deaths of the police officers.
Last year, a wave of violence in Rio led to protests in December by a group called Rio de Paz.
The group said 9,000 people had been slain since January 2007. Many of the deaths were caused by clashes among drug traffickers fighting for territory in Rio's slums and poor neighborhoods, said the group's president, Antonio Carlos Costa.
In February, police killed at least 10 drug-trafficking suspects in all-day shootouts that closed schools and government offices in three Rio neighborhoods.(CNN) -- Twelve people, including two police officers, were killed Saturday in a gun... more
A control tower recording captured an air traffic controller bantering about a dead cat with a giggling female friend as a small plane flew toward a collision with a helicopter.A control tower recording captured an air traffic controller bantering about a dead... more
Masked gunmen used a stolen helicopter and explosives to engineer a spectacular raid on a cash depot in Stockholm yesterday, breaking into the building through the roof and flying off with bags of cash, police and officials said.
The daring pre-dawn heist stunned police in the Swedish capital, who were unable to deploy their own helicopters to the scene because suspected explosives had been placed at their hangar.
The security company that owns the facility, G4S PLC, said the thieves had made off with “an unconfirmed sum of money” and added it would offer a large reward for information leading to their arrest and the return of the loot.
However it has been reported that the amount involved is over £130 million in Swedish Krona, which if correct makes it one of the world's biggest robberies.Masked gunmen used a stolen helicopter and explosives to engineer a spectacular raid... more
Astoria, Oregon, August 15, 2009. These brave Coast Guard personnel show how dangerous it is to attempt a sea rescue, even on a calm day with a placid Columbia River below. In actual rescue situations these folks are called upon to complete similar exercises in stormy weather and raging seas. This particular group is stationed in Astoria, Oregon and patrols the northwest coast, looking for drug smugglers, keeping alert for fishing violations, and searching for vessels in distress. Many hundreds owe their lives to the quick thinking and decisive action of the Coast Guard.Astoria, Oregon, August 15, 2009. These brave Coast Guard personnel show how dangerous... more
Disturbing footage may shed new light on fatal crash above Hudson River, which left nine people dead.Disturbing footage may shed new light on fatal crash above Hudson River, which left... more
The air traffic controller responsible for handling the airplane involved in Saturday's fatal midair collision with a helicopter over the Hudson River was put on administrative leave Thursday after investigators said he was involved in “apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident.”
The crash killed all nine people aboard both aircraft, including three people from a Pennsylvania family on the plane and five Italian tourists and a pilot on the helicopter. The collision, in broad daylight on a clear weekend afternoon, has led some officials to call for greater regulation of the busy airspace surrounding the Manhattan and New Jersey waterfronts.
The FAA said in a statement Thursday that disciplinary proceedings have begun against the controller and his supervisor, who was not present in the building as required.The air traffic controller responsible for handling the airplane involved in... more
The wife and mother of Italian tourists killed in Saturday's air collision over the Hudson River skipped the sightseeing flight to go shopping, according to media reports.
Michele Norelli, 51, his wife, Silvia Rigamonti, and their son, Filippo Norelli, 16, were visiting New York from Bologna, Italy, to celebrate the couple's 25th wedding anniversary.
But Rigamonti decided to visit New York stores instead of seeing its sights from above. Her husband and son were killed when their sightseeing helicopter collided with a single-engine plane, a Piper Saratoga PA-32, above the Hudson River.
The Norellis were ecstatic to be spending their anniversary in New York, their oldest son told Stampa newspaper in Turin, Italy.
"They used to talk about their trip at dinner with enthusiasm, of their silver anniversary and how they were going to celebrate it together. My aunt gave them the trip as a gift," the paper quotes Davide Norelli saying.
The 23-year-old economics major told Italian reporters that he was too busy with college studies to make the trip.
He also told Italian media that when he saw news of the crash, he called his mother and was relieved at first because she answered. Then came the devastating news, which he had to break to his 92-year-old paternal grandmother.
Three other tourists from Italy, Fabio Gallazzi, 49; his wife, Tiziana Pedroni, 44; and their son Giacomo Gallazzi, 15, along with pilot Jeremy Clarke, 32, also were killed when the helicopter plunged into the river.
Killed aboard the plane were the owner and pilot, Steven Altman, 60, of Ambler, Pennsylvania; his brother, Daniel Altman, 49, of Dresher, Pennsylvania; and Daniel Altman's 16-year-old son, Douglas.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven victims and went back into the river Monday morning in search of the final two.
The wreckage of the chopper was pulled up Sunday.
"Almost all of it was intact," National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Debbie Hersman told CNN's "American Morning" on Monday.
Early Monday, divers said they believe the plane has been located as well. "We are very hopeful they might be able to pull that up today," Hersman said. "Deep water, fast currents -- there is a lot of challenges for the divers. We'll have to see what they can accomplish today." Watch the NTSB official discuss the accident »
Investigators are probing whether the high level of air traffic over the Hudson was a factor in the crash.
"This is a congested corridor," Hersman said. "And so I think we're going to have to see what the investigation develops, what the facts tell us, and then we will look to determine recommendations to prevent something like this from happening." See where the collision occurred »
Clarke, the pilot of the helicopter -- a Eurocopter AS350 -- had worked for Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours for about a year and a half and had 2,700 helicopter flight hours, Hersman said.
The plane took off from a Philadelphia-area airfield Saturday morning, landed at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport and was bound for Ocean City, New Jersey.
Controllers lost contact with the plane at 11:53 a.m. ET when it was at an altitude of about 1,100 feet, Hersman said.
Investigators will focus on radio communications along the congested air corridor at the time of the crash and will examine any images contributed by the public.
Neither aircraft was required to carry the cockpit voice and flight data recorders found on larger planes. But electronic navigational devices on board might retain information that could help the crash investigation, Hersman said.
Investigators are unlikely to determine the probable cause of the crash for some time, Hersman said.
"We are looking at everything. Nothing has been ruled out," she said.
Click link to continue...The wife and mother of Italian tourists killed in Saturday's air collision over the... more
(HOBOKEN, N.J.) — Divers hope to pull a plane out of the Hudson River on Monday, but their first priority is to recover the bodies of two remaining victims of the air collision that killed nine people, a chief investigator said.
A Pennsylvania family and an Italian tourist group were killed in Saturday's crash of the small plane and a sightseeing helicopter in the busy skies of Manhattan.
Seven bodies were recovered — one teenage passenger on the plane and all six people aboard the helicopter. Divers resumed their search for the plane's pilot and an adult passenger on Monday. "We think we've had some positive hits on the skin of the airplane and we're very hopeful they'll be able to pull that up today," NTSB chief Debbie Hersman told CNN on Monday.
An Army Corps of Engineers crane lifted the twisted wreckage of the helicopter from 30 feet of water near the New Jersey shore on Sunday. A sonar scanner found the Piper Lancer nearby and more plane parts were found farther away under about 50 feet of water.
Hersman declined to speculate about the cause of the crash, the worst air disaster in New York City since a commercial jet crash in Queens killed 265 people in November 2001. The investigation is expected to take months.
Ben Lane warned fellow helicopter pilot Jeremy Clarke that the plane was bearing down on him. Lane told the Daily News in Monday's editions that another pilot heard him scream "Watch out! Watch out!"
He said he doesn't remember screaming, but does recall seeing a wing and chopper blades falling before both aircraft plummeted.
Lane said a crash was inevitable along the busy corridor. Helicopter pilots stay in constant radio contact, he said, but many small plane pilots do not.
Witnesses said the small plane approached the helicopter, which had just taken off for a 12-minute tour, from behind and clipped it with a wing. Hersman said the helicopter was gaining altitude at the time the two hit. Both aircraft split apart and fell into the river, scattering debris and sending weekenders enjoying the beautiful day running for cover.
The plane took off from the Teterboro Airport in New Jersey shortly before noon. Hersman said it was not required to have a flight plan and did not file one. The plane was flying at about 1,100 feet at the time of the crash, she said.
Associated Press writers contributing to this report include: Deepti Hajela, Suzanne Ma and Amy Westfeldt in New York City, Beth DeFalco in Trenton, N.J., JoAnn Loviglio in Blue Bell, Pa., Colleen Long in Chicago, Ariel David in Rome and AP News researcher Julie Reed.(HOBOKEN, N.J.) — Divers hope to pull a plane out of the Hudson River on Monday, but... more
Divers hope to pull a plane out of the Hudson River on Monday, but their first priority is to recover the bodies of two remaining victims of the air collision that killed nine people, a chief investigator said.Divers hope to pull a plane out of the Hudson River on Monday, but their first... more
Nine people were killed on Saturday when a helicopter and a light plane collided over the Hudson River in New York City.
The accident happened in clear weather in an area where pilots operate freely at a low altitude and keep an eye out for other aircraft by sight.
The victims include 5 Italian tourists who were flying in the helicopter on a sightseeing excursion.Nine people were killed on Saturday when a helicopter and a light plane collided over... more
The Coast Guard says a small plane has collided with a helicopter over the Hudson River.
Witnesses say the accident happened just after noon between Manhattan and Hoboken, N.J. Both aircraft crashed into the water.
Emergency crews are on both sides of the river and police divers are going into the water.
Buzz Nahas saw the crash from the shore in Hoboken, N.J. He says there was a loud pop, like a car backfire. He says the helicopter "dropped like a rock" and that the plane lost its wing.
In January, a US Airways jet with more than 150 people on board crashed into the Hudson River after apparently striking a flock of geese. All aboard survived.The Coast Guard says a small plane has collided with a helicopter over the Hudson... more
Witnesses say the accident happened just after noon between Manhattan and Hoboken, N.J. Both aircraft crashed into the water.Witnesses say the accident happened just after noon between Manhattan and Hoboken,... more
Rio de janeiro - tourism - views from an helicopter trip above Copacabana and Ipanema beach.Rio de janeiro - tourism - views from an helicopter trip above Copacabana and Ipanema... more
