CD Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 Officers survive copter crash By Nancy Flores San Antonio Express-News Web Posted : 02/20/2004 12:00 AM The slightest hesitation could have cost them their lives. But a maneuver that some call miraculous saved two San Antonio police helicopter pilots early Thursday. As streetlights speckled the ground below, officers Edward A. Ramirez and Michael Welborn lifted off to follow a West Side police chase. Just a minute after the helicopter's 2:38 a.m. take off from Stinson Airfield, with dispatcher chatter inside the cockpit of Eagle 3 steadily growing, the veteran pilots felt a shudder and heard several bangs before the engine cut out. A witness reported a flame shooting out the back of the helicopter. Welborn, his voice strained on a videotape from the craft, alerted the dispatcher that the helicopter was going down. "Come on, auto! Come on, auto!" Welborn yelled to Ramirez, who was piloting the aircraft. Welborn was referring to the use of the "auto-rotation" emergency move that kept the rotors twirling above. "Eagle, mayday Eagle!" Welborn screamed on the tape. "We're going down!" [see link] Officers survive copter crash - San Antonio News Video Link Windows Media or Real Player Watch the video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDP Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 Thats quite the tape... There are not many accidents that you can see what was going on inside the cockpit. Glad they are ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedalJam Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 :shock: Boy that will get the old heart rate going Good job on them thou , get to go home to the kids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper1 Posted February 20, 2004 Report Share Posted February 20, 2004 Wow......*&% Thank God for lighted parking lots. Things go really fast from flying to ground...27 seconds...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picapart Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Is that machine a 500 or something? I can't quite make it out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 That was a beautiful 720 auto at night !! without much warning (looks like they had a govenor surging or something). Just gotta remember to drop the pole and flare when you roll out... Great job saving 2 lives that night!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotorhead Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Is that machine a 500 or something? I can't quite make it out . Looks like a Schweizer 330 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper1 Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Sounds like engine failure with the horn going off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
412driver Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 it is a schweizer 333 turbine belonging to the san antonio police department..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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