Six men were killed
Six men were killed Wednesday afternoon, July 28, when a PHI helicopter crashed and burned while on a routine flight from Safaniya to Dhahran. There were no survivors.
The victims were Aramcon Peter A. Witcosky; William H. Wells and William A. Lacey of Tradco-Vulcan; David Rider of Holmes and Narver, Inc.; and David L. Duus and Barry A. Craig of Petroleum Helicopters International.
Aramco's management would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of the accident victims.
The crash of the twin-turbine 13-passenger Bell helicopter is being investigated by the Aramco Safety Committee, the Saudi Arabian Government Civil Aviation Department, the U. S. National Transport Safety Board, Petroleum Helicopters International, and the Bell Helicopter Company.
Mr. Witcosky joined Aramco in March 1975 and was working at Safaniya as an electrical technician in the Shops and Northern Area Maintenance Department. Surviving him are his wife Diane and their two-year-old daughter Marcella. They may be contacted c/o Rodney French, RD No. 1, Box 171, Waverly, New York, 14892.
Memorial services for Mr. Witcosky will be held in the United States; services for the other victims were held July 30 in Dhahran.
Contact addresses of their families are as follows:
Mrs. Betty Wells, 800 11th Street, Midfield, Ala., 35228.
Mrs. Barbara Lacey, Route 2, Pearl, Ill., 62361.
Mrs. Fae Rider, 6444 Hartman Street, Las Vegas, Nev., 89108.
Mrs. Valia Rich (mother of Mr. Craig), 378 Main Street, Townsend, Mass., 01474.
Mr. Duus' mother may be contacted in care of Naomi Olson, P.O. Box 16, Wallace, S. D., 57272.