Chicago Tot Perishes in Medevac Crash

28 injured in collision, crash

(NEWSER) - A pair of helicopter crashes today in Afghanistan killed 14 US troops and civilian workers and injured at least 28 others. In the first crash, a helicopter went down in the west of the country after leaving the scene of a firefight with insurgents, killing 10 Americans—seven troops and three civilians working for the government. Eleven American troops, one U.S. civilian and 14 Afghans were also injured. More»

(NEWSER) - Above the Hudson River west of Manhattan, where a helicopter and a light plane fatally collided on Saturday, a pilot can have as many as a dozen other aircraft to monitor at busy moments. Flight instructors describe the river corridor as dangerous and tunnel-like, and government is once again facing calls to step in. "It's the Wild West out there, totally unregulated, and no one knows where these pilots are," one official tells the New York Times. More»

Soldiers were on training mission

(AP) - Two US Army helicopters crashed during a training mission last night at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, killing four soldiers. The reconnaissance choppers crashed after 8pm in the southwest training area of the sprawling base, according to the Army. "We don't have details on what actually occurred," said a base spokesman. "That will be part of the investigation." It was not immediately clear whether the aircraft collided or crashed separately. More»

Pilot, workers survive mishap at Christmas Tree ceremony

(NEWSER) - Viewers thought they were tuning in to watch a webcast of Auckland’s Christmas tree being hoisted into place when they signed onto TVNZ’s site yesterday morning. Instead they witnessed this: A helicopter snapping in two as it crashes to the worksite below. Miraculously no one was seriously injured in the incident, TVNZ reports—the chopper missed the half-dozen people below. Pilot Greg Gribble was taken to the hospital after being thrown halfway out of the chopper, but is fine. More»

Sightseeing tour ends in tragedy for family

(NEWSER) - Last month’s New York City helicopter crash has claimed a third victim. Harriet Nicholson, 60, died yesterday from "respiratory complications of near-drowning"—meaning a lack of oxygen to her brain—the AP reports. The English tourist was to take a sightseeing tour with her husband, daughter, and daughter’s partner when the pilot lost control and crashed into the East River shortly after takeoff on Oct. 4. Nicholson’s 40-year-old daughter was found dead after the accident, and her partner died a week later. The pilot and Nicholson’s husband survived. More»