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Daily Scripture
 
"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

Psalm 31:24

HELICOPTER WILL NEED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED

The helicopter is the only link for transportation and supplies for many missionary teams.

November 28, 2007

by Ian Fallis

NTM Aviation is making arrangements to transport a helicopter -- badly damaged in an accident Tuesday morning -- to the mission's flight center in Papua New Guinea.

There, NTM Aviation personnel will be able to determine if the helicopter can be repaired, at a cost that will likely exceed $250,000, or replaced, which will cost in excess of $500,000.

The helicopter -- a Jet Ranger that is NTM Aviation's only helicopter in Papua New Guinea -- was damaged in an accident Tuesday morning. Missionary pilot Ray Finsaas, the only person aboard, was able to walk away from the accident with no apparent injuries.

The accident occurred at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Papua New Guinea (7:30 p.m. Monday on the US East Coast) at a remote jungle airstrip. At the time, Ray was shuttling fuel from that airstrip to the missionary team in the Inapang tribe. The fuel was in a sling under the helicopter -- a normal way of carrying cargo by helicopter -- and the helicopter was "very close to the ground … basically in a hover" when the accident occurred, said Jim Sims, vice chairman of NTM Aviation.

The exact cause of the accident will be investigated.

The extent of the damage to the helicopter is unclear, and as long as it can be safely and economically repaired, that is the preferred choice. However, "it's safe to say there's some major damage," Jim said, so the helicopter will be transported to the mission's flight center in the country for a thorough evaluation.

Please thank the Lord with us for the safety of our pilot, and pray for Ray and his family as they work through this situation. It's a reminder of the difficult and dangerous work that missionary pilots undertake every day. "He's a good pilot -- very careful," Jim said.

The helicopter itself has been operated by NTM Aviation in Papua New Guinea since 1993 without an accident.

SIL, which has two helicopters in Papua New Guinea, will most likely be able to help carry the workload until NTM Aviation can put a helicopter back in service. SIL and NTM routinely cooperate and help each other with missionary aviation service in the country.

Please pray that NTM can put a helicopter back in service in Papua New Guinea soon. This will have an impact on teams in tribal villages who rely on helicopter service, the rest of the NTM Aviation team in Papua New Guinea, and the SIL aviation team.

A fund has been set up for those wishing to contribute to the repair or replacement of the helicopter. Find out more >>