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Helicopter Crashes into Crane in London

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Walshicus

Member
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21040313

A helicopter has crashed into a crane at a building site in central London.

Police said it appeared the helicopter had hit the crane on top of a building at about 08:00 GMT. They said it was too early to confirm any casualties.

London Fire Brigade said the crash happened near Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth. They said more than 60 firefighters were at the scene.

Burning wreckage lay in the road, with all approaches to the Vauxhall Cross one way system closed.

The fire brigade was also attending a second scene involving a crane in a precarious position on St George's Wharf.

Police said they first received calls at 08:00 GMT and the London Ambulance Service said it was also at the scene.

'Enormous bang'
Ex-BBC producer Paul Ferguson said the helicopter "plummeted straight into the ground".

He said: "The building the helicopter hit is shrouded in mist."

e said the crane at the top of the building was now hanging down the side of the building.

Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, witnessed the crash.

"I was walking towards Vauxhall tube station from Lambeth Palace area where I have a flat," she said.

"There was suddenly an enormous bang - I thought something exploded.

"It was coming from beyond Vauxhall tube station.

"Then clouds and clouds of black smoke.

"I presumed what it was I heard was the crane collapsing or the helicopter crashing into it.

'Huge smoke cloud'
"I heard the bang then saw the clouds of smoke but there was too much in the way to see much at that point."

Some witnesses reported the wreckage hitting two cars.

Witnesses reported seeing debris on the ground.

Quinn Murray was cycling when he saw the crash.

_65316039_vauxhall_helicopter_crash_624.gif


He said: "I saw the helicopter hit the top of the crane and come down just to the left of the station.

"There was quite a large amount of fire and a huge smoke cloud. It wasn't on the road, but into a building site where they are building the new Nine Elms area.

"There's a huge number of emergency services."

Commuter Sherna Noah described seeing a "large plume of dark grey smoke" as she crossed Battersea Bridge at about 08:00 GMT.

She said: "I was coming across the bridge and basically I could see a few cyclists on the bridge looking towards the water.

"I looked over to see what they were looking at and could see a pall of grey smoke coming from the south side.

"You could see a large plume of dark grey smoke."

The BBC's Ross Hawkins said Wandsworth Road near Vauxhall station is closed.

Must be pretty crazy for people doing the daily commute...
 

Timbuktu

Member
It is rather foggy this morning. Hope casualities isn't too bad.

For commuters trains and tubes are fine, just don't try to drive through there.
 

Ty4on

Member
Edit: ^^^^ Looking at that fire one good thing is that it didn't hit any building :/

Two people confirmed dead, no big surprise looking at the crash. Two taken to hospital, hope it doesn't rise :(
 
Edit: ^^^^ Looking at that fire one good thing is that it didn't hit any building :/

Two people confirmed dead, no big surprise looking at the crash. Two taken to hospital, hope it doesn't rise :(

Yeah lucky it didn't hit the building that the crane was standing beside. Apparently eye witnesses said that there were no lights on the side of the crane to warn flyers that the crane is there.

Such a terrible tragedy. Thoughts are with family

EDIT 1
_65316013_helicopter3.jpg


Here is the picture of the crane the helicopter hit...You can clearly see it is covered in the cloud at the top.

EDIT 2
Closer look at the crane
_65316214_missingcrane.jpg
 

Prine

Banned
its right next to where iI work, looks like an obvious obstruction but i guess there was a lot of fog? anyway no trains are running into Vauxhall, and I'm heading back home. Right next to Mi6, Skyfall.
 

Burger

Member
I got off the train at Vauxhall around 8am, but didn't notice or see anything before I got on my bus to Hyde Park Corner.

Must have happened shortly after. Guardian says chopper seemed to be in trouble before it hit the crane.
 

wetflame

Pizza Dog
I was there when it happened and saw the crash.

I was stood on the platform at Vauxhall rail station and was facing the building where the crane was hit. The top of the crane wasn't visible as it was covered by low cloud, but I heard the bang as the helicopter hit it, and saw the body of the helicopter falling to the ground along with pieces of the crane it hit. I couldn't see it hit the ground as my view of the area was blocked, but there was an explosion as it did and a huge plume of thick black smoke rose from it for about another 10 or 15 minutes. Maybe a couple of minutes after the crash there was a lot of sirens and I saw a lot of ambulances coming and going in a hurry. After a while the smoke and a little of the cloud cleared and I could see the top of the crane where it had been hit. It was pretty shocking to see. The train I was waiting for got delayed for a little while, it was coming from central London and heading out, past where the helicopter hit the building. When it pulled up to the station we were told we'd be waiting while they checked the track ahead, and then it left. As we pulled out of the station I could see where it hit, firefighters were hosing down the building to try and keep the fire under control and police had blocked off the whole area around it. I guess they closed down the tube, buses and trains shortly after I left.
 

Dead Man

Member
I was there when it happened and saw the crash.

I was stood on the platform at Vauxhall rail station and was facing the building where the crane was hit. The top of the crane wasn't visible as it was covered by low cloud, but I heard the bang as the helicopter hit it, and saw the body of the helicopter falling to the ground along with pieces of the crane it hit. I couldn't see it hit the ground as my view of the area was blocked, but there was an explosion as it did and a huge plume of thick black smoke rose from it for about another 10 or 15 minutes. Maybe a couple of minutes after the crash there was a lot of sirens and I saw a lot of ambulances coming and going in a hurry. After a while the smoke and a little of the cloud cleared and I could see the top of the crane where it had been hit. It was pretty shocking to see. The train I was waiting for got delayed for a little while, it was coming from central London and heading out, past where the helicopter hit the building. When it pulled up to the station we were told we'd be waiting while they checked the track ahead, and then it left. As we pulled out of the station I could see where it hit, firefighters were hosing down the building to try and keep the fire under control and police had blocked off the whole area around it. I guess they closed down the tube, buses and trains shortly after I left.

Well that would wake you up on the morning commute. Jesus.
 

wetflame

Pizza Dog
Yeah. Although there was a woman on Sky News saying "You're always worried about things like 9/11 and things like that. I have three small children with me in the flat. It's one of your fears that something like this can happen."

A helicopter is pretty much the worst way to attack a building anyway. Especially one like MI6 headquarters.
 

DiscoJer

Member
and the type of helicopter that crashed:

9a352223-d920-4df5-92d5-134352733c7f.jpg

Airwolf


Honestly, it's somewhat surprising (and I guess a testament to the pilots) that you don't see more helicopter crashes. I mean, people drive off roads all the time, that's simple compared to flying a helicopter in an urban environment.
 

massoluk

Banned
I'm really curious. I know that they use the crane itself to dismantle the crane after the building is finished, but how do you mantle the crane if the crane get destroyed.
 

Rich!

Member
Yeah. Although there was a woman on Sky News saying "You're always worried about things like 9/11 and things like that. I have three small children with me in the flat. It's one of your fears that something like this can happen."

A helicopter is pretty much the worst way to attack a building anyway. Especially one like MI6 headquarters.

Using a helicopter to attack mi6 is probably a better way than setting off a gas explosion via hacking.
 

Feature

Banned
Yes, I wonder what the protocol would be if some guys stole a helicopter and flew around shooting people from the helicopter.
 
Apparently the crane driver was late for work for the first time in years, otherwise he would've been in the crane when the helicopter hit, he was so so lucky
 

DY_nasty

NeoGAF's official "was this shooting justified" consultant
Sooooo the people who set up the crane are going to be prosecuted right?
 

DY_nasty

NeoGAF's official "was this shooting justified" consultant
only logical explanation is God looking out for him.
Yes, that must be the only logical explanation.

Also, I don't understand why some atheists just can't ignore these things and absolutely must let the world know that they don't care.
Yeah they probably set it up really quick in the helicopter's way for the lolz.

No, its supposed to have lights on it... its a pretty massive violation in the US to have something like that up and not lit.
 
Also, I don't understand why some atheists just can't ignore these things and absolutely must let the world know that they don't care.


No, its supposed to have lights on it... its a pretty massive violation in the US to have something like that up and not lit.

Its been all over the news suggesting it may not have had a light on the crane, though I saw a recent pic of it on another site with a light on the crane
 

Raist

Banned
No, its supposed to have lights on it... its a pretty massive violation in the US to have something like that up and not lit.

HOw exactly do you know that this thing had no lights and the pilot just didn't see it? Given how ridiculously foggy it was this morning, that wouldn't surprise me.
 
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