NTSB: Helicopter crash that killed 5 people occurred near summit of high ridge above Knik Glacier

A helicopter that crashed near Knik Glacier on Saturday night, killing five of six people on board, narrowly missed clearing the top of a kilometer-high mountain ridge, federal investigators said.

The Soloy Airbus AS350B3 helicopter carried two guides and three guests from a lodge on a heliskiing trip through the snowy backcountry of the Chugach Mountains near Palmer. The crash killed the pilot and four other people, including the richest man in the Czech Republic.

Killed in the crash: Gregory Harms, 52, of Colorado; Petr Kellner, 56, and Benjamin Larochaix, 50, both from the Czech Republic; and two Alaskans, Sean McManamy, 38, of Girdwood, and pilot, Zachary Russell, 33, from Anchorage, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The only other person on board – David Horvath, a 48-year-old Czech snowboarder – was in serious condition Monday at Providence Alaska Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson said. No further information was immediately available on the extent of Horvath’s injuries.

The helicopter crashed about 21 miles southeast of Palmer on an unnamed mountain between Metal Creek and Grasshopper Valley, above the Knik Glacier.

The helicopter carried three guests and two guides from Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, lodge spokesperson Mary Ann Pruitt said. The lodge has contracted with Soloy for all helicopter services.

Soloy, a long-time family business based at Wasilla Airport, declined to comment on Monday. Soloy offers various charter services with a fleet of 19 helicopters.

The Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is located approximately 60 miles northwest of Anchorage, on the other side of Cook Inlet. The lodge promotes itself as a luxury multisport resort and offers guided heli-skiing packages throughout the winter starting at $ 15,000 per person.

A lodge statement said it was the first time in 17 years in business: “We have had to deal with an event of this magnitude.”

In an Instagram post on Saturday, Harms said Horvath and his friends were driving north from Chugach.

“After a huge effort to get here, @daviddhc and the crew are back in Alaska in pursuit of the dream of an endless winter and shredding with good friends,” Harms’ company Third said. Edge Heli.

Its last signal was broadcast around 6:35 p.m. Saturday, officials said at a press briefing on Monday. The helicopter was reported late at around 8:30 p.m. Another operator participating in the search found the wreckage at around 9:30 p.m.

Rugged terrain prevented National Transportation Safety Board investigators from reaching the crash site and snowfall was expected, board member Tom Chapman said during the briefing.

So the soldiers transported NTSB Alaska chief Clint Johnson to the crash site, where he took photos of the wreckage before snow covered it, Chapman said.

Johnson estimated the helicopter struck the mountain about 10 to 15 feet below a ridge line at about 5,500 feet before taxiing to 800 or 900 feet of descent, National Transportation Safety Board officials said Monday.

Soldiers, several Alaska National Guard units, the Rescue Coordination Center, and members of the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group assisted in the rescue and recovery.

The NTSB will look at the weather, recording devices, mechanical aspects and human performance, said Chapman, who did not have information on the weather at the time of the crash or on the amount of material loaded into the aircraft. helicopter Monday.

“Our mission (is) to understand not only what happened but also why. And recommend changes to prevent this from happening again, ”he said at the briefing, according to a transcript.

Word of the crash, a rarity in the heli-skiing industry, quickly spread around the world.

Kellner held a 98.93% stake in PPF Group, an international investment firm, according to the Associated Press. The group is present in 25 countries in Europe, Asia and North America with assets of $ 52 billion. The PPF group has confirmed Kellner’s death.

“Her professional life was known for her incredible work ethic and creativity, but her private life belonged to her family,” said a message posted on the PPF Group website.

The funeral is only scheduled for immediate family members, and the company has asked the media to respect the family’s privacy.

Kellner and Larochaix “were loyal and frequent guests” at the lodge, Pruitt said in an email to The Associated Press.

She did not immediately respond to additional questions emailed Monday.

Benjamin Larochaix, 50, was an experienced snowboarder from Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France, Le Dauphiné newspaper reported. Alaska State soldiers described Larochaix as from the Czech Republic.

The French newspaper described Larochaix as a snowboarder and slopestyle trainer, as well as the father of French snowboarders Thaile and Noé Larochaix. In a profile on the Verdad Snowboards website in Belgium, Larochaix said the Tordrillo Mountains are among his favorites in the world.

Members of Alaska’s tight-knit heli-skiing community have expressed shock and sorrow at the sudden loss of several luminaries in a rare accident.

Greg Harms, 50, of Colorado, was a pioneer in the heli-skiing world, said friend Chris Davenport, an Aspen-based skier and guide.

Harms had guided for 23 years and was known as one of the most experienced and respected ski guides in the industry, famous for taking skiers to uncrowded mountains where they could go “further, further, to do something a little more interesting, ”Davenport said.

Based in Aspen, he lived a nomadic skiing life following the best snow: Colorado in early winter, Alaska in spring, Andes in summer. Harms had recently become a father, according to Davenport.

“His clients were following him, he was a bit of a heliskiing flute player, going to these amazing places,” Davenport said.

In the 1990s, Harms survived a helicopter crash in Chile that killed two people, Davenport said.

In general, however, avalanches are considered a much greater risk than aircraft accidents, he said. “When I first heard that Greg had been killed, my first thought was that it was an avalanche. This is usually what gets us out into the mountains. “

On Sunday, dozens of people who knew Harms gathered in Aspen and skied a race in his honor. “His passing leaves a big hole in the heli-skiing industry,” Davenport said.

Sean McManamy, 38, was originally from Hanover, New Hampshire, but had moved to Alaska over ten years ago to attend Alaska Pacific University and guide for Mountain Trip, a Colorado-based company that conducts trips to mountaineering in Denali.

He has guided more than 15 trips to Denali, as well as heli-skiing jobs in the winter, said Bill Allen, owner of Mountain Trip. Most recently, he had worked as Director of Operations for Mountain Trip.

McManamy was known for his mild humor and positivity, Allen said. He was married to another Alaskan mountain and heli-skiing guide. “He was the heart and soul of our operation in Anchorage,” said Bill Allen.

Russell obtained his commercial pilot’s license in 2013, according to a federal database. He was an instrument helicopter pilot and graduate flight instructor, including one as an instructor with a company in Bend, Oregon.

He started flying with Soloy in February 2019, according to a post on his Facebook page.

“This is definitely the job I wanted since I started flying, so thrilled to be working for Soloy!” Russell said in response to the favorable comments. “A special thank you to everyone who helped me get here!”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.