Helicopter Passengers Fall In Bali: Please Help My Husband

Screenshots - Helicopters crashed on Suluban Beach, Pecatu Village, South Kuta District, Badung Regency, Bali, at 15.33 WITA, Friday (19/7/2024). ANTARA/HO

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (Ditjen Hubud) of the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) said there were 5 people in a tourist helicopter that crashed in Pecatu, Badung, Bali.

"Helicopter carries on board or POB personnel, namely one pilot and four (persons) passengers," said Head of the Public Relations and General Cooperation Section of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation Mokhammad Khusnu, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, July 19.

Khusnu said the pilots and the four passengers were declared safe.

"Initial information is that all passengers are confirmed to have survived the accident," he said.

Even so, the Ministry of Transportation has not mentioned more detailed data regarding the gender, origin and nationality of the four PK-WSP type Bell 505 helicopter passengers belonging to PT. Whitesky Aviation who experienced the incident.

Meanwhile, the 0.26-second amateur video shows the helicopter's condition after it crashed.

In the video, a woman's voice can be heard asking for help with English words "Please help my husband" (help my husband).

Not long after, the sound of women was heard again, but with the Indonesian phrase "My husband where?".

"Currently, flight inspectors from the Airport Authority Office Region IV are heading to the accident site. Whitesky Aviation has also sent an investigation team to the scene. The latest information will be conveyed further," said Khusnu.

Separately, Basarnas Bali evacuated five victims from a helicopter coded PKWSP with the Bali Heli Tour operator which crashed in Suluban, Pecatu Village, Badung Regency.

"Based on initial information the helicopter brought five people, including the pilot and crew, all victims could be evacuated safely," said Bali Basarnas Head I Nyoman Sidakarya in a statement received in Denpasar, Friday.

The five victims of the crash helicopter consisted of four men and women, namely Dedi Kurnia who is a Bali Heli Tour pilot and Oki as a flight crew.

The other three victims were passengers with the identities of Eloira Decti Paskilah from Indonesia, and Russel James Harris and Chriestope Pierre Marrot Castellat who were Australian foreigners.

After the evacuation process by Basarnas Bali, the passengers were taken to Siloam Hospital by ambulance. Meanwhile, for the cause of the accident, Basarnas is waiting for an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC).

"We don't know the exact cause yet, we are still waiting for an investigation from the NTSC," he said.

From the information summarized by Basarnas Bali, initially the helicopter took off from the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) helipad at 14:33 WITA for a tour.

Not long ago in the air, the helicopter crashed around 14.37 WITA and the Bali Basarnas office received information that the helicopter crashed at 15.25 WITA.

The news about the plane crash in the Suluban area, Pecatu Village, has gone viral on social media. There has been no further information regarding the cause but a picture of the aircraft propeller engine wrapped in a rope.