Copterline

Copterline ( ICAO code: AAQ ) is the largest Finnish helicopter airline and has a total of nine machines. The airline serves the route Helsinki -Tallinn 12 times daily with a AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. The flight over the Gulf of Finland with a maximum of 12 passengers only takes 18 minutes. In 2004 alone, over 75,000 passengers were transported. The set on 22 June 2006 service was resumed between March 25, 2008 and December 19, 2008.

Helicopter crash on August 10, 2005, Tallinn

On 10 August 2005 at 12:40 clock a helicopter of the type Sikorsky S-76 C shortly after takeoff in the Estonian capital Tallinn crashed near the small Naissaar in the Tallinn Bay (more precisely, 59 ° 32 ' 33 "N, 24 ° 43 ' 53 " O59.54254833333324.731256666667 ). In the accident every 14 occupants were killed.

Chronological order of events

According to information from the Finnish airline Copterline the helicopter was scheduled to start at 12:30 clock in Tallinn, to take up his line flight over the Gulf of Finland to Helsinki. However, there was a delay of several minutes. At 12:40 clock, just two minutes after the start, the radio contact was lost. As already almost ten minutes later, the first rescue teams arrived about five kilometers to the crash site off the coast, sticking only the tail of the helicopter from the water. Shortly after the wreck sank completely into the Baltic Sea, so that a rapid recovery of survivors was impossible. As the speaker of the Estonian rescue workers, Aivar Muriks told, could not find anyone his salvage team. Also from Finland requested specialists succeeded to evening not to rescue victims from the lying in 60 meters depth helicopter.

On August 11, divers salvaged the bodies of all twelve passengers and one of the two Finnish pilots. For the passengers it was six Finns, four Estonians and two Americans. They were then all brought to autopsy to Tallinn.

The body of the second pilot was discovered and salvaged only on August 25.

On August 12, finally broken into two parts wreckage of the plane was lifted, which was then taken to the airport, first by boat in the Tallinn port and where an in-depth investigation began.

On 14 February 2006 it was announced in a press release that the servos of the main rotor are the focus of ongoing investigations.

Possible causes of accident

The most likely cause of the crash has been interpreted the ruling to the accident time in the region of bad weather. The day before the competitions of the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki had been interrupted in 2005 due to torrential rains and heavy storm. The Ferry service between the two capitals Tallinn and Helsinki presented ceased to operate. According to the Meteorological Institute in Helsinki ruled over the Gulf of Finland temporarily wind speeds of up to 25 meters per second. Investigation of the Estonian prosecutor now needed to clarify whether the part of the airline flight safety may have been violated.

Although an investigation of the wreck was located, technical defects on the helicopter are so far largely excluded. The last comprehensive review, which will be held routinely after 50 flight hours, was held in Finland on 21 July 2005. In this case, no deficiencies were found. The last inspection of the machine, which was built in 2000 and a total of 6,253 flight hours had behind him, took place on 9 August 2005. In this control, no defects were discovered.

The 41 -year-old pilot and the 57 -year-old co-pilot were experienced as very. The pilot was over 20 years as a captain of a rescue helicopter in the service of the Finnish Border Guard and had participated in 1994 at the rescue mission for survivors of the sinking of the Baltic ferry Estonia. The co-pilot Fred Peter Eriksson since 1995 has flown for Copterline.

Further investigations are now to bring light into the darkness. Definitely can exclude the Estonian authorities, however, already a terrorist attack.

Meanwhile Copterline took less than 24 hours after the accident, the scheduled flights between Helsinki and Tallinn again, the line service but was later discontinued.

Continued operation of

After a change in ownership, the company started in 2008, the airline service again, but finished it back in December of the same year. Passenger numbers had - not least because of the economic crisis - not met expectations. Since January 2009, Coperline focused on rescue flights and flights to the rigs from its operational bases in Oulu, Vaasa and Joroinen. As of August 12, 2013 Copterline resumes the regular service with the Helsinki route - to Tallinn.