 |
| 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.
|
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, 2018
ANCHORAGE, 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.”
======================================
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.
==================================
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.
====================
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
_____________
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:
====================================
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
