2007 Paramount Airlines Mil Mi-8 crash

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2007 helicopter accident

2007 Paramount Airlines helicopter crash
Accident
9L-LBT, the aircraft involved in the accident.
Date	3 June 2007
Summary	Mechanical failure
Site	Lungi, Sierra Leone
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Mil Mi-8
Operator	Paramount Airlines
Registration	9L-LBT
Occupants	22
Passengers	20
Crew	2
Fatalities	22
Survivors	0

On 3 June 2007 a Mil Mi-8 helicopter operated by Paramount Airlines crashed near Lungi International Airport in Sierra Leone, killing approximately 20 to 22 people.

Background

In 2007, helicopter, hovercraft, and sea ferry were the only practical ways to travel between the airport and the capital, Freetown, which are separated by the Sierra Leone River as it meets the Atlantic Ocean.

The passengers on board were Togolese football fans who were returning from watching their national team play that of Sierra Leone, and the two pilots were of Ukrainian origin. The passengers had chartered the aircraft specifically for the flight.

Crash and emergency response

According to an eyewitness, both pilots jumped out immediately prior to the crash. Later reports stated that 22 were killed, and that the Russian copilot was the only survivor.

The aircraft caught fire upon impact and was destroyed before firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.

According to airport witnesses the firefighters did not attend the scene until 40 minutes after the crash. The firefighter who had the keys to the fire truck was not at his station in the airport at the time. Airport staff had to douse the flames with buckets of water.

Investigation

Togo sent a six-person delegation to help investigate the crash, as most of the dead were Togolese football fans visiting for an African Cup of Nations qualifying match on Sunday. They included Togolese Minister of Sports Richard Attipoe.

Sierra Leone's Minister of transport and communications Dr Prince Harding as well as the two top aviation officials in the country lost their jobs as a result of the crash and a commission of enquiry was set up.

References

^ Sierra Leone air crash kills 19 – BBC News – Published 4 June. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
"Aviation Safety Network - Accident Mil Mi-8T 9L-LBT, Sunday 3 June 2007".

v t e Togo national football team
General	History
Venues	Stade de Kégué
Statistics	Results Records
Goals	Emmanuel Adebayor
FIFA World Cup	2006
Africa Cup of Nations	1972 1984 1998 2000 2002 2006 2010 2013
Coupe Houphouët-Boigny	1982 1983
Related Articles	2007 Paramount Airlines Mil Mi-8 crash Togo national football team attack
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v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 2007 (2007)
Jan 1 Adam Air Flight 574Jan 9 Aerian-TurM An-26 crashJan 24 Air West Flight 612Jan 25 Régional Flight 7775Feb 21 Adam Air Flight 172Mar 5 Zell am See mid-air collisionMar 7 Garuda Indonesia Flight 200Mar 17 UTair Flight 471Mar 23 Mogadishu TransAVIAexport crashApr 21 Blue Angels South Carolina crashApr 27 Shatoy Mi-8 crashMay 5 Kenya Airways Flight 507May 26 San Francisco Int'l runway incursionJun 3 Paramount Airlines helicopter crashJun 21 Free Airlines L-410 crashJun 25 PMTair Flight 241Jul 17 TAM Airlines Flight 3054Jul 27 Phoenix news helicopter collisionAug 9 Air Moorea Flight 1121Aug 20 China Airlines Flight 120Sep 9 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 1209Sep 12 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 2748Sep 16 One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269Oct 4 Africa One Antonov An-26 crashOct 26 Philippine Airlines Flight 475Oct 27 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 2867Nov 7 Nationwide Airlines Flight 723Nov 30 Atlasjet Flight 4203
2006 ◄ ► 2008

Aviation accidents and incidents in 2007 (2007)

Jan 1 Adam Air Flight 574Jan 9 Aerian-TurM An-26 crashJan 24 Air West Flight 612Jan 25 Régional Flight 7775Feb 21 Adam Air Flight 172Mar 5 Zell am See mid-air collisionMar 7 Garuda Indonesia Flight 200Mar 17 UTair Flight 471Mar 23 Mogadishu TransAVIAexport crashApr 21 Blue Angels South Carolina crashApr 27 Shatoy Mi-8 crashMay 5 Kenya Airways Flight 507May 26 San Francisco Int'l runway incursionJun 3 Paramount Airlines helicopter crashJun 21 Free Airlines L-410 crashJun 25 PMTair Flight 241Jul 17 TAM Airlines Flight 3054Jul 27 Phoenix news helicopter collisionAug 9 Air Moorea Flight 1121Aug 20 China Airlines Flight 120Sep 9 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 1209Sep 12 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 2748Sep 16 One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269Oct 4 Africa One Antonov An-26 crashOct 26 Philippine Airlines Flight 475Oct 27 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 2867Nov 7 Nationwide Airlines Flight 723Nov 30 Atlasjet Flight 4203

2006 ◄ ► 2008

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