A Bell Jet Model 505 Helicopter operated by Bali Helitours crashed on Friday, 19 July 2024 at 3:03 pm. near Suluban Beach in Bali, a short distance north of the Island’s major Uluwatu Religious Temple.
The helicopter fell into a mixed-residential area not far from the Indian Ocean, based on photos on the Internet crashing between a carved vertical embankment and a villa. The exact location of the crashed helicopter was on Gang Cempaka, Jalan Batu Kandik in the Village of Pecatu.
The helicopter was carrying a pilot, one crewmember, and three passengers who were said to be undertaking a property survey at the time of the incident. Reliable early reports regarding injuries and casualties connected to the incident are not available.
The early passenger and crew manifest listed the following individuals:
- Dedi Kurnia Sentosa (30) – Pilot (Indonesian)
- Oktranab Debsirsao – Crew member (Indonesian)
- Russel James Harris – Passenger (Australian)
- Eldira Decti Paskila – Passenger (Indonesian)
- Christophe Pierre Marrot Casterllat – Passenger (Australian)
Passengers and crew were brought to the Siloam Hospital in Bali by Ambulance. No further information on their condition has been made available.
The helicopter was a Bell 505 Helicopter bearing the livery identity of Bali Helitours. The Indonesian registry of PK-WSP is owned by Whitesky Aviation. The registration number links to a Bell Jet Ranger built in 2017. The flightradar24.com website tracked the flight, which left the base of operations near the Garuda Winsnu Kencana Monument at 12:33 p.m. and quickly descended only 3 minutes late in the Suluban Beach Area.
Preliminary speculation, supported by photos from the crash scene, indicates the helicopter’s rotor blades may have become entangled with one of the many kites that are infamously ubiquitous in the skies over Bali at this time of year.
The heavily damaged downed helicopter came to rest in an inverted position.
Local residents who rushed to the scene of the crash reported hearing the voice of a woman pleading for help and assistance for her injured husband.
Updated additional details as they become available.
Whitesky Aviation Safety Record
The Indonesian National Air Safety Board (KNKT) shows four helicopter accidents involving the company’s aircraft since 2012:
- 19 July 2024 Bell 505 PK-WSP Bali – 5 Injured
- 29 Feb 2014 Bell 429 PK-WSW North Maluku – 3 Fatalities
- 20 April 2018 Bell 429 PK-WSX Central Sulawesi – One Ground Fatality
- 28 Nov 2012 Bell 407 PK-WSC W. Kalimantan – One Ground Fatality
On 02 July 2024, another helicopter made an emergency landing in South Bali when its rotor also became entangled with a kite rope Kite Downs Helicopter in South Bali.
Related Links
Kite Downs Helicopter in South Bali
Kites Near Bali’s Airport Threatens Safety
Kite Flying A Major Threat to Bali Power
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