A helicopter crashed yesterday evening near the Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens, killing its pilot, who was flying solo. Andrew Wong, 49-year-old father of three, was an experienced pilot and well regarded lawyer.
A witness said the Robinson 44’s engine stopped, then started again sounding strange. He said its tail broke off. The aircraft crashed onto the lower slopes of Hong Kong’s highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan. Explosions were heard. Burning wreckage spread over a wide area, some landing on Lam Tin Road. More than 100 emergency service crew arrived in fire engines and ambulances. There was no hope for Mr Wong, whose body was badly burned.
The area where he was flying is known to light aircraft pilots as Kadoorie Gap. It is the gap in the hills most frequently used by the pilots for entry to and exit from the Sek Kong airfield circuit. Leaving Sek Kong helicopters and fixed wings fly through the gap at 1500 ft. Returning to Sek Kong they are required to fly at 2000 ft for separation.
Mr Wong had taken off in a R44, reportedly privately owned, from the airfield at about 4:40 pm. Sek Kong airfield is a base now of the People’s Liberation Army, which keeps a small number of Dauphin helicopters there and flies in larger aircraft from China from time to time. The PLA allows the airfield to be used for private flying on seven weekend days a month, usually.
In recent years the R44 has been the world’s most widely purchased light aircraft. It has been manufactured by the Robinson Helicopter Co. of the U.S. since 1992. The aircraft has four seats, a two-bladed main rotor of 38 ft diameter, a two-bladed tail rotor and skid landing gear. Australian and New Zealand civil aviation officials have found the R44 is prone to post-accident fires.
An R44 was involved in an accident at Sek Kong in June 2015. A pilot lost control near the ground and the aircraft pranged, injuring slightly all three people on board.
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