Czech billionaire among 5 killed in Alaska helicopter crash
A helicopter carrying guides and guests on a heli-skiing excursion north of Anchorage slammed into a mountain and then rolled downhill hundreds of feet, killing the pilot and four of the five passengers, officials said Monday. Among the dead in the Saturday evening crash was billionaire Petr Kellner, the richest man in the Czech Republic. The survivor, identified as David Horvath, 48, of the Czech Republic, was listed in serious condition Monday, said Mike Canfield.
The chartered helicopter, an Airbus AS350 B3, was “conducting heli-ski operations in an area of steep and remote terrain within the Chugach Mountains near Knik Glacier,” National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said Monday during a briefing with reporters. The crash site, about 21 miles (34 kilometers) southeast of Palmer, is only accessible by helicopter because of the rugged terrain and snowy conditions. Palmer is located about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Anchorage.
Recovery of the bodies was accelerated on Sunday because another snowstorm is forecast. The bodies were turned over to the Alaska State Medical Examiner. The five people killed were identified as Kellner, 56, and Benjamin Larochaix, 50, both of the Czech Republic; Gregory Harms, 52, of Colorado; and two Alaska residents, Sean McAdam, 38, of Girdwood, and the pilot, Zachary Russel, 33, of Anchorage, troopers said Sunday. Authorities initially released McManamy’s name as McMannany.
Kellner was a businessman with a net worth of over $17 billion, according to the Forbes 2020 list of the world’s richest people. Kellner owned a 98.93% stake in the PPF Group, an international investment company. The group operates in 25 countries in Europe, Asia, and North America with assets of $52 billion (44 billion euros). PPF Group confirmed Kellner’s death.“His professional life was known for his incredible work ethic and creativity, but his private life belonged to his family,” a message posted on the PPF Group website said. The funeral is planned for only close family members, and the company asked the media to respect the family's privacy.
Kellner and Larochaix “were loyal and frequent” guests at the lodge, Pruitt said in an email to The Associated Press. Vacation packages at the lodge start at $15,000 per person. Russel was a pilot for Soloy Helicopters, a company based in the small city of Wasilla contracted by the lodge to provide transportation, Pruitt said. Johnson's observations, the helicopter appears to have hit the mountain 10 feet (3.05 meters) to 15 feet (4.57 meters) below a ridgeline at an elevation of approximately 5,500 feet (1,676 meters). The helicopter then rolled 800-900 feet (244-274 meters) downhill.
Using satellite-based signals broadcast from the helicopter, the aircraft was last heard at 6:34 p.m. Saturday and reported overdue at about 8:30 p.m. Another operator participating in the search found and identified the wreckage about an hour later, Chapman said. Chapman said it was his understanding the helicopter carried some recording equipment on board, but he couldn’t immediately say if it was a black box. If it did have some recording device, “that will be an important part of the investigatory process,” he said. The investigators have not yet had direct contact with Horvath. It’s also not yet known if there was any com.
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