Director Chi Po-lin (齊柏林) was among three people who died in a helicopter crash in Hualien County’s Fengbin Township (豐濱) yesterday, the county fire department said.
The department said it received word at 11am that the helicopter had crashed.
Upon arriving at the site, rescuers found the bodies of three people, who have been identified as Chi, 52; his assistant Chen Kuan-chi (陳冠齊), 25; and pilot Chang Chi-kuang (張志光), 53.
Photo: CNA, provided by a member of the public
The helicopter was a Bell 206B-3 owned and operated by Emerald Pacific Airlines (凌天航空), the department said.
Emeral Pacific director of operations Huang Wei-chun (黃為君) said the helicopter had taken off from Chihshang Township (池上) at 10:40am with plans to pass over the Huadong Valley (花東縱谷) and Ruisuei Township (瑞穗) before returning to Chihshang.
“We lost contact with the pilot a little over an hour after the helicopter took off from Chihshang,” Huang said.
Screen grab from the Taiwan From Above Facebook account
Chang had worked for the airline for 11 years and had 5,500 hours of flight experience, Huang said, adding that the helicopter had passed service and maintenance checks in April.
The crew was shooting footage for Chi’s sequel to the documentary Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above (看見台灣).
Beyond Beauty was a 2013 box-office hit that documented Taiwan using only aerial footage.
Photo: Wang Wen-lin, Taipei Times
Chi on Thursday held a news conference in Taipei to announce production had begun on the sequel.
He said he would film it using 4K ultra-high-definition or higher resolution and was intending to include footage from Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia and China to convey his idea that environmental protection should not be limited by national borders.
Chi had planned underwater footage to show how human activity is affecting the sea.
Photo provided by Taiwan Above Cinema Inc
Chi on Thursday said that he would not use lower-resolution aerial cameras and would insist on using helicopter-mounted cameras for all shots from the air.
Friends and others expressed shock and disbelief at Chi’s death.
Author Wu Nian-jen (吳念真), who narrated Beyond Beauty, yesterday said that he had spoken with Chi on Friday and offered him encouragement to focus on the filming and not to worry about funding.
“Chi said he would ask me to take a look at the rough footage at some point,” Wu said.
National Chengchi University professor Chen Fang-ming (陳芳明) said it was truly a sad day.
While there are many idealists in the world, and some act on their ideals, Chi was the director he admired the most, he said.
“One feels pride for Taiwan after watching any of the films he directed,” Chen Fang-ming said.
“This generation of Taiwanese has suffered a loss at the passing of Chi, a man who had a conscience and was willing to devote himself to a cause,” said director Lu Chien-chang (盧建彰), who was a friend of Chi’s.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) wrote on Facebook that she and all Taiwanese were shocked and saddened at Chi’s passing.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) offered the Cabinet’s condolences to the family of the late director, who had worked with the military to document stories of the air force.
Chi began shooting aerial photography during his days at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, helping document important construction projects, mostly highways.
Chi was deeply moved by the damage Typhoon Morakot wrought upon Siaolin Village (小林) in what was then Kaohsiung County after torrential rain triggered mudslides there in 2008.
The public was unable to get a proper sense of the importance of environmental protection, because they had no access to such footage and scenes, Chi said at the time.
He said it was that experience that led him to shoot Beyond Beauty, adding that he left his job in the public sector to devote his time to creating the documentary.
In 2011, Chi said he hoped to be the eye in the sky for Taiwanese and show them the beautiful scenery he had seen.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration is investigating the crash.
UPDATE: 5:10pm The whole of Taiwan was jolted by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck just off the coast of Hualien County at 7:58am on Wednesday, the largest quake to hit the nation in 25 years. As of 4:30pm, the death toll had reached nine. A total of 821 people were injured, and 127 were still trapped or stranded. According to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), the epicenter was 25km south-southeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 15.5km. The highest intensity of 6 was felt in Hualien, while Yilan and Miaoli counties registered over 5. Intensities of just under 5 were felt
The Taipei City Government yesterday said its inspection of a restaurant linked to a bongkrek acid poisoning outbreak found that a specimen collected from the chef’s hands on March 24 had tested positive for the toxin, so the restaurant would be held responsible for the food poisoning. Thirty people who ate at Polam Kopitam (寶林茶室) in Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 (Xinyi A13) between March 19 and 24 have reported falling ill after eating there, with most of them having eaten a stir-fried flat rice noodle dish called char kway teow (炒粿條). Bongkrek acid, a rare toxin produced by contamination
TAIPEI DAMAGE: Buildings in Wanhua District were damaged in the quake, with some residents ordered to evacuate and one building facing possible demolition The death toll from Wednesday’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake rose to 10, while 1,099 people were injured and 15 were missing, in addition to 705 people who remained trapped, the National Emergency Response Center said at 8:40pm yesterday. The latest fatality, previously listed as missing, was a man hiking on Xiaozhuilu Trail (小錐麓步道) in Hualien County. He was found under rocks and his remains were transported out of the area in the late afternoon. The 17 other hikers who had registered their details with the Taroko National Park were all accounted for, the park management office said. All of the known fatalities occurred in
HELP! The government has been air-dropping food, water, medicine and other necessities to people in trapped areas, while some are being delivered on foot Rescue efforts continued yesterday at Taroko National Park and the Central Cross-Island Highway following Wednesday’s earthquake, with the death toll increasing by two to 12, in addition to 1,133 injured, 636 trapped and eight missing. As of 9pm, the center said it had recovered three missing people, two of whom who were near Luoshao Cihui Temple (洛韶慈惠堂). Although two bodies were discovered along the Shakadang Trail (砂卡礑) in Taroko yesterday, the Central Emergency Operations Center said the official death toll still stands at 10 until they can be extricated. Earlier yesterday, members of the Special Search and Rescue Division from the Pingtung,