Difference between revisions of "Island Express Helicopters"
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'''December 2, 1985 [LAT]:''' “ Stark Tragedy of helicopter crash ends a joyous outing. It was to be like a delayed honeymoon. But it ended in tragedy with the recent bridegroom, Hossein Habibi, 28, of Glendale, killed and 11 others injured in a rare mid-air collision of two commuter helicopters maneuvering to land at the Catalina Air and Sea Terminal in San Pedro. "They were very much acting like newlyweds," said Russell Clendenen, 34, of Pitman, N.J., in recounting the last moments of the Saturday afternoon crash at the helipad located under the Vincent Thomas suspension bridge. Habibi, an Iranian immigrant who worked as a manager at a McDonald's restaurant, had been sitting in a Bell "Long Ranger" helicopter owned by Helitrans of San Pedro, that was about to land after a daylong excursion to Santa Catalina Island. Next to him was his wife of three months, Stacy, 22, whom he had met last year while both were working at Yellowstone National Park.” | '''December 2, 1985 [LAT]:''' “ Stark Tragedy of helicopter crash ends a joyous outing. It was to be like a delayed honeymoon. But it ended in tragedy with the recent bridegroom, Hossein Habibi, 28, of Glendale, killed and 11 others injured in a rare mid-air collision of two commuter helicopters maneuvering to land at the Catalina Air and Sea Terminal in San Pedro. "They were very much acting like newlyweds," said Russell Clendenen, 34, of Pitman, N.J., in recounting the last moments of the Saturday afternoon crash at the helipad located under the Vincent Thomas suspension bridge. Habibi, an Iranian immigrant who worked as a manager at a McDonald's restaurant, had been sitting in a Bell "Long Ranger" helicopter owned by Helitrans of San Pedro, that was about to land after a daylong excursion to Santa Catalina Island. Next to him was his wife of three months, Stacy, 22, whom he had met last year while both were working at Yellowstone National Park.” | ||
'''April 30, 1992 [Avalon Bay News]:''' “Helicopter makes emergency landing. Last Saturday morning sirens rang out across Avalon town. No one knew what it was until we found that a helicopter of Island Express had to make an emergency landing on the water about half a mile off Pebbly Beach. Due to the great job of the pilot, Monica, no one was hurt although they did take on a little water up to their ankles. One of the passengers, Kenneth Perry, of Covina, California told ABN of how they were towed to shore and he said Monica should be commended. She kept a cool head in what could have been a very disastrous turn of events and simply landed the plane in the water and radioed for help. The plane suffered from engine failure and is being repaired.” | |||
Revision as of 15:52, 16 December 2022
Island Express Helicopters has been operating tours, charters and exclusive Santa Catalina Island trips since 1982. The company services all of southern California, with exclusive-use helicopters at the Queen Mary in Long Beach and the Catalina Cruise terminal in San Pedro. In April 2013 a new terminal opened at the Orange County Airport. Island Express flies three turbine-powered six-passenger helicopters. Its maintenance facility is at Long Beach Airport.
On November 30, 1985, there was a mid-air collision at their terminal in San Pedro of their Bell 206-L Jet Ranger in which there was one fatality, Hossein Habibi (28), and 11 survivors.
In the News~
December 2, 1985 [LAT]: “ Stark Tragedy of helicopter crash ends a joyous outing. It was to be like a delayed honeymoon. But it ended in tragedy with the recent bridegroom, Hossein Habibi, 28, of Glendale, killed and 11 others injured in a rare mid-air collision of two commuter helicopters maneuvering to land at the Catalina Air and Sea Terminal in San Pedro. "They were very much acting like newlyweds," said Russell Clendenen, 34, of Pitman, N.J., in recounting the last moments of the Saturday afternoon crash at the helipad located under the Vincent Thomas suspension bridge. Habibi, an Iranian immigrant who worked as a manager at a McDonald's restaurant, had been sitting in a Bell "Long Ranger" helicopter owned by Helitrans of San Pedro, that was about to land after a daylong excursion to Santa Catalina Island. Next to him was his wife of three months, Stacy, 22, whom he had met last year while both were working at Yellowstone National Park.”
April 30, 1992 [Avalon Bay News]: “Helicopter makes emergency landing. Last Saturday morning sirens rang out across Avalon town. No one knew what it was until we found that a helicopter of Island Express had to make an emergency landing on the water about half a mile off Pebbly Beach. Due to the great job of the pilot, Monica, no one was hurt although they did take on a little water up to their ankles. One of the passengers, Kenneth Perry, of Covina, California told ABN of how they were towed to shore and he said Monica should be commended. She kept a cool head in what could have been a very disastrous turn of events and simply landed the plane in the water and radioed for help. The plane suffered from engine failure and is being repaired.”
