Pilot injured in helicopter accident in canton Schwyz

A civilian helicopter crashed from a height of a few meters into the snow-capped Wiesland and Unteriberg (SZ) on Saturday afternoon. The 47-year-old pilot was alone on board and was slightly injured in the accident. He was taken to the hospital by the ambulance service.

"It went down quickly," says a local resident who watched the helicopter accident through her living room window on Saturday afternoon. The helicopter arrived from the west at around 4 p.m. The eyewitness noticed how the low-flying pilot was struggling to keep the machine stable. The helicopter swayed back and forth, and then suddenly lost altitude and hit the ground hard. The cockpit was demolished, and the five rotor blades flew through the air. The helicopter ended up lying on its left side in the deep snow, and its tail had torn away on impact, as the Bote der Urschweiz reports.

It may well be that the depth of the snow at 940 meters above sea level, acting as a natural impact protection, may have spared the pilot from serious injuries. According to police, the 47-year-old pilot was hospitalised with only minor injuries, but has now been able to leave the hospital. A team from the Einsiedeln rescue service and a Rega helicopter were on site.

The search for clues has begun.
Photo: Geri Holdener, Bote der Urschweiz

The accident took place near the Minsters indoor swimming pool, right next to the Oberibergstrasse. The local Unteriberg Fire Brigade deployed to the scene to regulate the traffic on the main road, and were able to keep the road open by alternating the traffic in a single lane. The scene of the accident was illuminated, and the search for clues is likely to take several hours.

Employees of the Swiss Safety Investigation Agency (Sust) have been called in to determine the exact course of the accident. The crashed helicopter is a machine from a US manufacturer. The local helicopter company states on its website that this helicopter is often in the air for filming purposes. The model is considered to be particularly quiet and safe. The helicopter was in the air all day long this Saturday, and circled the Greater Mythen at noon and was also seen in the Appenzell area in the afternoon.

Call for witnesses
In order to further investigate the course of events and the cause of the crash, the law enforcement authorities are now looking for witnesses. As the Schwyz  police write in a statement, anyone who observed the helicopter shortly before the crash or who saw the crash itself should contact the police by phone on 041 819 29 29.