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‘The noise was horrendous’: Student pilot crashes helicopter into Mentone home
A student pilot is in hospital after the helicopter he was flying crashed into an empty house near a primary school in Mentone just after 1pm on Wednesday.
The pilot, who was the only person in the aircraft, sustained lower-body injuries and was taken to The Alfred hospital, where he is in a stable condition.
Emergency services rushed to Tylden Court, near Moorabbin Airport and Mentone Park Primary School, about 1.15pm after receiving several triple-zero calls.
Victoria Police Senior Sergeant Andrew Wise said rescuers used a crane to remove the pilot, whose injuries were not life-threatening.
Megan Godfrey’s mother owns the house where the helicopter crashed.
Margaret, who is in her 80s, was out shopping at Bunnings when she got a call from a neighbour about the crash.
“She’s a bit shaken, but she’s fine,” Godfrey said, adding that the damage was confined to a bathroom and back bedroom. “They’ll fix it and then she’ll go back to normal.”
Nurse Jessica Gross, who lives next door to the home, said she heard a thunderous bang and rushed outside to see the helicopter on her neighbour’s roof.
“The entire street came out,” she said.
She told The Age she was among the first at the scene, and used fences between the homes to access the roof and provide first aid to the pilot.
“We got him a towel to hold pressure on his head and then just kept him smart, checked for leg injuries,” she said.
Robert Merlo was on his own roof, preparing to paint, when he saw the helicopter fly overhead and into the house across the street.
“The noise was horrendous,” he said from his rooftop.
“It was like a horror movie.”
Merlo was also one of the first on the scene and managed to speak to the injured pilot.
“He said, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine. I can’t get out though’,” Merlo said.
Matt Evans, who lives next to the house hit by the helicopter, raced home after receiving a frantic call from his wife, who was home with their baby.
“Well, that shouldn’t be there,” he told reporters when he arrived at the scene. Evans said the roof of his home was damaged, with one corner hit by debris and tiles knocked down.
Emergency services rescuing the helicopter pilot from the wreckage.Credit: Joe Armao
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said in a statement the bureau had begun its investigation into the incident.
“The [Hughes 269C] helicopter was reported to have been conducting a missed approach (go-around) procedure from Moorabbin Airport when it collided with the roof of a house,” he said.
“Should any critical safety issues be identified [before the final report] ... the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate safety action can be taken.”
The helicopter is linked to The Helicopter Group (Aust), which operates out of Moorabbin Airport and runs tours, charter flights and flight training.
The scene of the helicopter crash in Mentone.Credit: Nine News
Jesse Vanderzypp, son of Helicopter Group founder Michael Vanderzypp, said his father had spoken to the pilot and was relieved he had survived.
“Our first question is always ‘Is everyone OK?’” he said.
Vanderzypp said the pilot was on his way back to the airport after a two-hour solo navigation flight when he crashed.
This is not the first time an aircraft has crashed near Moorabbin Airport, which is 21 kilometres south-east of Melbourne’s CBD.
In 2019, two men walked away with minor injuries after their plane crashed on a nearby golf course. In 2018, father-of-two Anthony Liddell was killed when the Cessna 172 he was flying crashed.
Kingston Mayor Hadi Saab said in a statement that the incident was “yet another reminder of why it is vital for aviation and safety to be at the core of future planning” for the airport.
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