Bisuschio: helicopter falls down, dead woman. The alarm launched by the pilot – The Day

Bisuschio, November 20, 2016 – Tragedy in the woods between Bisuschio and Arcisate. A helicopter started from the Canton of Ticino on board with the Italian pilot and two passengers, a woman of Sondrio and swiss entrepreneur with the patent of flight, crashed into an impenetrable area near the border with Switzerland, between the mont Minisfreddo and the Target. The woman, Stefania Fendoni, 40 years, is dead. The entrepreneur, 42 years old, and the pilot, a 57-year-old of Sondrio, were injured. The rescuers have brought them in except after searches difficult from the shape of the area and atmosp heric conditions. To launch the alarm has been the pilot of the middle, is raised in flight from a heliport in the area of Lugano on a day of poor visibility due to fog and low cloud, probably direct in Valtellina. Are ongoing investigations about the causes of the accident. Will be examined the black box of the aircraft, which has still not been recovered. Will begin today, weather permitting, operations to bring it to the valley.

helicopter Aw109, which can carry up to eight people, maybe causes by the fog, is finished against a mountain, a crash in the wooded area between Bisuschio and Arcisate. The pilot shortly after the 14 managed to get in contact with the rescuers, and has provided some indications that they have allowed to focus the research in the area of mount Minisfreddo, at an altitude of about 800 metres away. A base camp was set up in Bisuschio and, from there, started the research carried out by the operators of 118, the local fire department with the specialists of the Core speleo alpine river, the police, mountain rescue and civil protection. A team has to beat the trails in the area, while helicopters flew over the area. The weather conditions, however, have not allowed an intervention via the air.

Have collaborated in the research also some residents, who know the trails in the area. You are kept in contact with rescuers, the mayors of Municipalities in affected by the intervention. In a race against time, because the wounded were in danger of having to spend the night in the cold, in the woods. “We sent a team of volunteers of civil Protection - says the mayor of Arcisate, Angelo Pierobon – were times of great apprehension.” In the late afternoon, the wreckage of the helicopter has been identified. In the cockpit the corpse of Stefania Fendoni, passionate flight. In the next few days will be performed the autopsy, to ascertain the causes of death. The injured were rescued and transported to the hospital of the Circolo di Varese: have reported injuries due to the impact but are not life threatening.