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CNN Live Today

Rescue Helicopter Crashes With Six Crew Members Onboard

Aired May 31, 2002 - 11:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to Oregon and the aftermath of a horrifying crash during a high-altitude rescue attempt. A climbing accident that killed three people on Mt. Hood almost turned into a bigger disaster, when the rescue helicopter crashed with six crew members on board.

CNN's Frank Buckley joins us from Mt. Hood with the latest from there.

Hi there, Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

The latest information right now, the attempt to recover the final body of the -- one of the original three climbers who died in the crevasse when they first fell in. I'll have Gabe push in up to the mountainside. It may be a little difficult to see, but at the top of the ridge there you can actually see a couple of the rescuers who are up on the top of the ridge right now. We just saw a snowcat go up in that direction just a few moments ago as well, up to about 10,000 feet. They're going to recover that final body that's up on the mountainside.

Of course we all see the video yesterday of the actual helicopter crash that took place during the attempt to rescue those who were alive. And it happened live on television.

It was a horrific sight that people saw live on television. Even more so perhaps for the people who were on the ground, as a third patient was being hooked on to a litter underneath that helicopter. We spoke with one of the rescuers who was involved in that process, Steve Rawlings, just a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE RAWLINGS, PORTLAND MOUNTAIN RESCUE: One hundred and ten mile an hour winds coming down from the helicopter blades and blowing ice and snow, sandblasting your face. It's very chaotic. I looked up just as we were about to raise the litter and noticed that the aircraft was pitching off to the left like it was using power. I then saw one of the rotor blades hit the snow slope.

It was almost dreamlike. You could watch it in slow motion. And this thing tumbled down, whirled all the way to the bottom of the crater. I dove over the side of the ridge, trying to stay out of the way of flying debris. Very, very traumatic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: Traumatic indeed. Seven people remain hospitalized. Four of them, the original group of climbers; three of them helicopter crew members. The most serious of the injured from the helicopter crew, one of the people on that crew listed in serious condition. Remarkably, all of them survived the helicopter crash and all of them are expected to survive. None of them suffering life-threatening injuries -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Now, Frank, each time you look at the video of how the chopper crashed into the side of the mountain, each time you try to see something or try to extract some kind of information, it appears as though that the fuel -- in-flight fuel nozzle at the tip of the chopper rushed the side of the mountain first. Where are we on the investigation of how that crash happened?

BUCKLEY: Very, very early in the investigation. And that was the first apparent point of contact between the helicopter and the mountainside. But those on the ground said that they did see the helicopter begin to pitch before that, as if the helicopter was pulling away from the scene, pulling away from the location where there was, in fact, a person on the litter.

A crew member actually cut the cable that was about to hoist that person up on the litter, probably saving that person's life and others on the ground who were hunkered down over that patient. But, again, very early in the investigation. We believe the Air Force military investigators will take charge of this. We have not seen them arrive on scene. We know that Air Force personnel were with the helicopter all night long on the mountainside protecting it, but very early in the investigation -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you very much, Frank Buckley, from Mt. Hood.

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