Newsgroup: it.sport.sci
Titolo: Helicopter Hits Chamonix Cable Car

E' una notizia datata 14 gennaio ma non mi pare di averla letta da nessuna parte...
Fonte 
www.pistehors.com
----
A private helicopter, carrying three people involved with piste security in the Argentiere sector of
the Chamonix-Mont Blanc ski domain has crashed after colliding with the cables of the Grands Montets
cable car.
The accident occured at 2,600 meters altitude at 9h45 today.  The visibility was said to be good.
The helicopter, an Ecureuil B3 belonging to Chamonix Mont-Blanc Helicopters, collided with cables
close to second pylon.  It had just made a U-turn to check on why an explosive charge had not
detonated.
Daniel Pujol, the pilot was killed by the crash and Gérard Croz, a member piste patrol was dead on
arrival at Sallanches hospital.  There has recently been controversy over the partial closure of
Chamonix hospital with claims that the longer journey to Sallanches puts lives at risk.  The
operation to rescue the third man was started by members of the piste patrol using cutting equipment
and took most of the morning.  He is said to be out of immediate danger.
Investigators from the Air Police (gendarmerie des transports aériens) based at Lyon airport were on
the scene.  The cable car and pistes were shut at the time of the accident.  The helicopter was
involved in avalanche clearance operations prior to opening the area to the public.
Cables are a major hazard to pilots in ski resorts and are normally well marked.  However accidents
do happen, particuarly in bad weather conditions.  A helicopter crash at Flaine in February 2002
killed all four occupants after a collision with avalanche control cables. In March 1998 a US
airforce fighter jet severed the cables of a ski lift in Cabalasi, Italy killing all 20 occupants of
the cabin.
The severe weather conditions over recent days have caused problems in many ski areas.  The road to
Le Mont Dore was blocked by a mud slide at 4am today and slides have also been reported in Méribel.
A cable car in the Fréjus sector of Serre Chevalier came off its cable this morning.  The accident
happened as the cable car was being put into service.  The weight of snow on the roof destabilised
the cabin causing it to strike a pylon.  No-one was in the cabin at the time and there are no
reports of any injuries.  The prestigous Vanoise Express suffered from an accident earlier in the
season when it crashed into the cable car station during tests.
At Val Thorens a snowslide triggered by avalanche control on the Glacier de Peclet using the Gazex
system hit two members of the piste patrol, a mountain hut and the top station of the Funitel lift.
The patrollers were quickly rescued but the lift is now closed for repairs.
Many ski areas have closed their high altitude areas due to the risk of avalanche.  Meanwhile the
search for the missing skier in the Brevent sector of Chamonix is continuing today although hopes of
finding the man, missing since Sunday afternoon, alive are now fading.
----
Luca
http://www.krakatoa.it/

Fonte 
www.pistehors.com
L'avevo letta anche io in non so che sito, ma poi non ho avuto il
tempo di postarla.
Ciò che è strano è che hanno beccato il cavo della funivia col bel
tempo :-(, certo che usare l'esplosivo dall'elicottero è sempre un
modo rischiosetto di operare, ma qui il più ferrato in materia è il
Telmon che dovrebbe aver fatto anche lui questi lavori.
   Saluti Stefano
--  
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