Pilots Unharmed after PZL SW4 Test Crash

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 11:50 PM ET

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PZL SW4

Key Takeaways:

A PZL SW4 helicopter crashed during cold weather testing at Fairbanks International Airport, Alaska, in minus 36 degrees F temperatures.
The pilots escaped without injury, but the accident led to a two-hour closure of the runway for wreckage removal.
The specific reason for the cold weather testing and the cause of the crash are currently unknown.

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The pilots of a Polish-built PZL SW4 turbine-engine light helicopter walked away without injury after crashing on Sunday while performing cold weather testing in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Temperature at the time of the accident was minus 36 degrees F, according to the FAA, which said the crash happened at the Fairbanks International Airport. The runway was closed for about two hours as a cleanup crew removed the wreckage.