LUCKY ESCAPE Joe Walsh, pictured here recently with new American President Donald Trump, had a lucky espace last week when his helicopter crashed.
Michael Commins
KILTIMAGH native Joe Walsh had a near miraculous escape when the helicopter he was piloting malfunctioned over Chatham, New Jersey, on Friday evening. He had earlier collected the Robinson R44 that he purchased in Richmond, Virginia, and was flying it from there to Lincoln Park, New Jersey, when the engine stalled at a height of close on 3,000 feet.
His brother Padraig ‘Tulip’ Walsh told The Mayo News yesterday that it was Joe’s years of flying experience and attention to safety measures that saw him guide the helicopter down and rescue what could have been a calamitous situation.
“I am just after speaking to him on the phone there now and he is in fine form. He walked away with no injuries whatsoever. His passenger, an American friend, was taken to a nearby hospital for observation but he is now out and about again.
“Joe was telling me that one of the first things they train you to do as a helicopter pilot is how to cope with engine failure and guide it back down in a controlled fashion. He was a bit unfortunate that the helicopter engine stalled over a town as he could have brought it down comfortably in open fields. “He only had seconds to react to the unfolding emergency and other pilots who know about these things have told him since that he showed exceptional calm and courage in what could been a very serious tragedy,” says Tulip.
Joe (54), a brother of well known showbiz impresario and X-Factor judge, Louis Walsh, and who has close on two decades of pilot experience behind him, displayed textbook skills in manoeuvring the helicopter between buildings and power lines.
At the last moment the tail of the craft clipped a community garage and fell the few feet into the parking lot of an apartment complex off Main Street, just a quarter of a mile from downtown Chatham where many people were out strolling on a warm balmy evening.
One resident told the local TV station that she heard a loud bang and what sounded like an explosion and thought the helicopter had fallen on the apartments. Another said the pilot did a wonderful job in guiding the craft away from the streets and averting what could have been a catastrophe.
“Joe and his friend are very lucky to have survived what must have been a harrowing ordeal for them,” says Tulip. “He has another helicopter here in Kiltimagh for several years and takes it up for a few spins every time he is home.
“He was going to ship the helicopter that cut out and came down in New Jersey by container to Ireland and fly it here in Kiltimagh and Mayo. He is a lucky man to have survived on Friday evening. Joe is looking forward to his next trip home to us all in Kiltimagh.”
Lucky helicopter escape for Kiltimagh’s Joe Walsh
