PREMIER’S CONDOLENCES:Simon Chang visited the family members of the two dead men, whose helicopter went down ferrying an EPA team to a stricken cargo ship
Taipei Times
Date: Mar 12, 2016
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter
A pilot and a crew member of a National Airborne Service Corps (NASC)
Workers yesterday investigate the remains of a Ministry of the Interior National Airborne Service Corps helicopter in New Taipei City. Photo: CNA
helicopter died yesterday afternoon after the helicopter crashed into rough seas off Taiwan’s northern coast during post-rescue operations involving a cargo ship.
As of press time last night, the copilot of the AS365 Dauphin helicopter, 46-year-old Chu Yao-chung (朱耀忠), was fighting for his life at Taipei Veterans General Hospital after sustaining serious injuries in the crash.
There were five men on board the helicopter when it crashed into the sea just off the coast of New Taipei City’s Shimen District (石門) in heavy weather at 1:18pm: pilot Lin Chen-hsin (林振興), 47; Chu; aircraft technician Hsu Yi-yang (許翊揚); and two NASC rescue team members, Tsai Tsung-ta (蔡宗達), 34, and Shih Ming-chieh (施銘杰), 33.
A rescue operation was launched immediately, involving Coast Guard Administration units and four NASC helicopters, which were able to retrieve the men within 90 minutes. [FULL STORY]
