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| David King, Helicopter Pilot and President/Director of Ops - Last Frontier Air Ventures, Ltd |
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Josh Pepperd, the president and owner of Davis
Constructors, is missing from a helicopter that crashed Friday evening
near Yakutat.
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EXTREME EMERGENCY PRAYER REQUEST!
Josh Pepperd and his sons Aidan and Andrew were in a bad helicopter accident between Yakutat and Juneau, Alaska. Here is what I know. Aiden has internal injuries and is currently being Life-Flighted to the hospital in Anchorage. Josh and Andrew have not yet been found. There is currently a Coast Guard search going on for them. If ever a miracle was needed... this is such a time for one. PLEASE, PLEASE SEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO WILL PRAY! I will post updates as I have them. PLEASE SHARE THIS!
September 30, 2018ANCHORAGE, Alaska —
The Coast Guard suspended it’s search Sunday for potential survivors of a helicopter crash near Lituya Bay, Alaska.
The search was suspended at approximately 1230 p.m.
The Coast Guard, Alaska Air National Guard, Southeast Alaska Dogs for Ground Search and Civil Air Patrol searched a total of 788 square miles over a period of more than 36 hours.
“After maximizing search efforts with air, surface and shoreside assets we suspended the search today,” said Capt. Darran J. McLenon, chief of response for the 17th Coast Guard District. “One survivor is with his family and continues to be evaluated at a hospital in Anchorage. The Coast Guard prays for his full recovery and grieves with the family and friends of the crash victims.”
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1 rescued, 3 missing in Southeast Alaska helicopter crash
Updated: Saturday, September 29th 2018, 7:20 PM AKDT
By Chris Klint
Search efforts are continuing Saturday to find three people missing after Friday night’s crash of a helicopter into Southeast Alaska waters, with a rescued teenage boy alive but gravely hurt.
The Airbus H125 helicopter’s missing occupants were identified Saturday afternoon by Alaska State Troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain as Palmer man David King, 53; Anchorage resident Josh Pepperd, 42; and his 11-year-old son, Andrew Pepperd. Their next of kin have been notified, DeSpain said.
Joshua Pepperd is the president of Davis Constructors & Engineeers, an Alaska-based construction firm which claims credit for nearly $3 billion in projects across the state during its 40-year history.
David King is the president and director of operations of Last Frontier Air Ventures, Ltd. He owns Airbus As350 B3 helicopter in his fleet and this is the reason he was helping Pepperd piloting the helicopter from Texas to Alaska.
Airbus Helicopters Inc. posted photos on its Facebook page Wednesday of the Pepperds taking delivery of the helicopter, which have since been taken down.
The Airbus, which was being flown on a long-distance trip to Wasilla from Grand Prairie, Texas, had been en route from Juneau to Yakutat when U.S. Coast Guard officials were informed it was overdue as of 6:30 p.m. Friday.
“Two adults and two adolescents were aboard the crashed helicopter that was reported to be brand new out of the factory,” Coast Guard officials wrote in a statement. “The pilot is reported to have 40 years flying experience including Alaska flight time in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.”
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew rescued a 14-year-old boy from a nearby beach after the crash, which occurred in Lituya Bay as the newly built Airbus H125 helicopter was being flown from Grand Prairie, Texas to Wasilla. Troopers and family friends identified him as Andrew Pepperd’s brother, Aiden.
Jeff Brodsky, who urged people to pray for the Pepperds on Facebook Saturday, said that according to Aiden his father was flying at the time of the crash with assistance from King, a longtime instructor and pilot. Aiden was thrown from the chopper still strapped into his seat and knocked out.
"His head was resting on a blade when he woke up which thankfully kept his head out of the water," Brodsky wrote. "He barely had the strength to unbuckle. He finally did and tip-toed to the shore."
Troopers said Aiden was flown to a Sitka hospital, then to Anchorage. By Saturday afternoon he was at Providence Alaska Medical Center, where staff listed him in critical but stable condition.
"He has broken ribs puncturing his lung," Brodsky wrote. "They decided to not do surgery today. They are just going to monitor him the rest of today and tonight. It is a real miracle that Aiden is in as good a shape as he is."
An initial search Friday found debris from the crashed Airbus, but no sign of the other three people on board.
“Apparently the wreckage was found about 100 feet from the shore,” DeSpain said. “It’s still trying to be determined if [those missing are] still in the wreckage or if they managed to get out.”
A Coast Guard spokesman, Petty Officer 1st Class Nate Littlejohn, said winds at the time of Aiden's rescue were at about 10 mph, with seas nearby at about 5 to 8 feet.
On Saturday, another Jayhawk crew and the Coast Guard cutter Bailey Barco were searching the area for the helicopter's other occupants, with support from a Civil Air Patrol aircraft. Littlejohn refused to describe the effort as a recovery operation.
“We are still out there searching for survivors,” Littlejohn said.
More debris from the helicopter had been found Saturday evening, according to Littlejohn, but none of the Airbus's occupants.
According to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska chief, the chopper was being tracked on its trip by family members, who first reported it overdue.
“They noticed that the tracking system had stopped between Juneau and Yakutat,” Johnson said. “Yakutat was the next fueling stop they were scheduled to make; they did not make it.”
An NTSB investigator and a helicopter engineer will be sent to the scene to learn more about the crash, Johnson said.
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About us
Last Frontier Air Ventures is a diverse Alaskan Helicopter company offering Support Statewide for: Mineral Exploration, Oil Field Support, Survey, Slung Cargo, Video and Film Projects, Aerial Photography, Tours, and Heli Skiing, Short and Long Term Contracts. Last Frontier Air Ventures, being Alaskan owned and operated, can customize any job, big or small, to meet specific client needs.
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NTSB investigating crash of Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 in shallow water about 63 miles NW of Gustavus, Alaska.
==================== Narrative:
The helicopter crashed 100 feet from the shore. Fuselage had been found in shallow water, according NTSB. One occupant (14) was rescued with mild hypothermia, three other were missing. Two adults and two adolescents were in the helicopter at the moment of the accident. Research operations are still in progress.
USCG: “Two adults and two adolescents were aboard the crashed helicopter that was reported to be brand new out of the factory,” Coast Guard officials said.
The helicopter was on a long distance trip out of Grand Prairie, Texas.
Sources:
https://www.newsweek.com/helicopter-crash-alaska-three-people-missing-after-crash-lituya-bay-north-1145153?piano_t=1
https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/494706311.html
http://www.ktva.com/story/39198698/1-rescued-3-missing-in-southeast-alaska-helicopter-crash
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http://www.jetnetglobal.com/abiFiles/abiRegIndex.aspx?ACID=225360&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
https://www.radarbox24.com/data/flights/n907pl#999535705
Date: 28-SEP-2018
Time:
Type:
Airbus Helicopters H125
Owner/operator: Chinilna Equipment LLC
Registration: N907PL
C/n / msn: 8471
Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Near Lituya Bay, N of Juneau, AL -
United States of America Phase: En route
Nature: Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
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AS350 B3
This intermediate lift helicopter provides the fastest and quietest ride for the highest level of passenger comfort in its class. This Astar is a 5 to 6 passenger helicopter with an external load lift capacity up to 2770 lbs. Increased lift and altitude performance over the B2 Astar. The Astar B3 is one of few helicopters that maintains performance from sea level up to 9000 feet. It provides exceptional visibility from all passenger seats both front and rear.
Options:
- External basket
- Squirrel cheeks
- GPS real time flight tracking
- Sliding door