The helicopter damaged in a November accident is on its way back to the USA.
Missionaries in a number of remote tribal villages in Papua New Guinea depend on helicopter service for supplies and equipment, as well as for transportation. But on the morning of Nov. 27, NTM Aviation's Jet Ranger helicopter was seriously damaged at a remote jungle airstrip.
Missionary pilot Ray Finsaas, the only person aboard, was able to walk away from the accident with no apparent injuries.
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 common way of carrying cargo by helicopter. However, one of the ropes supporting the sling became looped over one of the helicopter's skids.
As Ray lifted the load, "very close to the ground … basically in a hover," the loop of rope caused the weight of the load to be on one side of the aircraft, instead of being balanced. The fact that the rope was looped over the skid was the cause of the accident, said Jim Sims, vice chairman of NTM Aviation. The helicopter hit the ground on its side, resulting in extensive damage.
The helicopter had been operated by NTM Aviation in Papua New Guinea since 1993 without an accident. Ray is "a good pilot -- very careful," Jim said.
The full extent of the damage is not yet known. The helicopter was put inside a container for shipping to NTM Aviation's facility in McNeal, Arizona, where it is expected to arrive in February.
There, NTM Aviation personnel will decide whether it will be more cost-effective to repair the helicopter or to replace it. Either way, the costs will almost certainly be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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