New Zealand Helicopter Crashes On Live Television, Pilot Miraculously Survives

VIDEO

by Nando Di Fino | 9:00 am, November 23rd, 2011

» 10 comments

At around 10:30 a.m. yesterday in Auckland, New Zealand, helicopter pilot Greg Gribble clipped a wire as he was attempting to install a seven-story tall Christmas tree at the Auckland Viaduct, sending the chopper crashing to the ground. Somehow, among workers on the ground, people watching the installation, and the two men in the cockpit, nobody was seriously hurt.

Video of the crash was captured by New Zealand’s One News as the event was being shown live on television and streamed on the Internet. TV NZ reports that the helicopter was snapped in half, and one of its three blades was sliced clean off. In addition:

Parts of it were flung as far as the Viaduct Events Centre, a few hundred metres away, smashing bullet-like holes through windows.

The good news (outside of nobody being hurt)?: Officials still expect the tree, which attracts 150,000 visitors, to be up by Dec. 2.

Watch footage of the crash below (unfortunately without audio), courtesy of TV NZ/One News:

christmas tree, Helicopter Crash, New Zealand

http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

Oh ish! Glad they were near terra firma.
Ralph

Crumples like paper.
Anonymous

We use helicopters extensively when stringing new wire on transmission lines, especially through mountainous areas. This is always my biggest fear on those jobs!
Anonymous

Now wasn’t that special.
http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

Take care and God’s speed to you.
Anonymous

Thank you sir, and to you as well. I guess this would be a good time to wish you and everyone else on here a Happy Thanksgiving holiday.
Anonymous

Who hurt you Princess?
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/QXHUG6B22T6CKA3CRQ4EG3UOCM Laurence

I couldn’t tell from the camera angle, but since this is New Zealand, right next to Australia, were the helicopter lades whirring counterclockwise?
http://twitter.com/grimcity Neal Boyd

Nobody got seriously injured… can’t help but be very, very, very happy about that. Glad to see a tragedy averted, especially during the holiday season. Cheers to everyone that walked away, and a big congrats to their families.
Darr247

A 50m Broderson is a LOT cheaper than a helicopter. True story.