UAE mourns RAK chopper victims

Ras Al Khaimah - The pilot, for no clear reason, lost control over his chopper, which rammed into the rocky mountain and burst into flames.

The entire nation, particularly Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, has been reeling in grief over the shocking helicopter crash on the Jebel Jais mountain on Saturday afternoon.
The pilot, for no clear reason, lost control over his chopper, which rammed into the rocky mountain and burst into flames. All four members of the crew were killed.
On Sunday, the National Search and Rescue Centre (NSRC) announced the names of the four crew members who were killed while performing their duty on board the Agusta 139 rescue helicopter.
"The crew included pilot Saqr Saeed Mohamed Abdullah Al Yamahi from Al Qariya, Fujairah; pilot Hameed Mohamed Obaid Al Zaabi from Al Salhiya, RAK; navigator Jasim Abdullah Ali Tunaiji from Al Rams, RAK; and flight paramedic Mark Roxburgh from South Africa."
His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, ordered an urgent investigation into the chopper crash, including the safety and security requirements at the site.
Sources at the NSRC told Khaleej Times that the Agusta 139 chopper was on a rescue mission. "They were called to assist a national ambulance with a road traffic accident close to the Jebel Jais mountain."
The same sources added that the helicopter was from the NSRC based in Ras Al Khaimah. "There was no patient on board."
According to eye-witness reports, the aircraft's tail rotor struck a cable. "But it is not possible to make any comments on the cause of the crash until the investigation is completed; at this stage we are only making assumptions."
Sources said it is the main control body in Abu Dhabi that receives emergency reports. "It then deploys the nearest crew to the site from the five search-and-rescue bases across the UAE."
The chopper took approximately 20 minutes to fly from the RAK centre to Jebel Jais, they said. "There is always a four-member crew in every search-and-rescue chopper, and [all choppers] go through regular, stringent maintenance."
All the 21 Critical Care Flight Paramedics (CCFP) are highly qualified and well trained, the sources said. "The minimum requirement to join the team is a bachelor's degree in emergency medicine or similar, a DOH licence as a paramedic (EMT advanced), multiple courses and years of experience with helicopters and rescue."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah