This is a remarkable piece of observation, USfer.

Certainly, from the shadow, the aircraft has the general configuration of the Bell 206, the police helicopter which crashed on take-off, and the fuselage length checks out to just over 31 ft, which is also correct for the 206.

Here is an image of Bell 206 JetRanger EC-HCT of the Mostoles Police, courtesy of Airliners.net. This is the actual aircraft involved in the crash.



In GE, If we switch on the DG Layers for 2005, cloud coverage 0-10% we get this picture:



It can be difficult to establish the date of a piece of imagery where there are a number of overlapping satellite images as in this case. However, I have highlighted your placemark and we can see that one of the imagery dates at least corresponds to that of the accident, Dec 1st, 2005.

By clicking on the blue i beside the date, we are taken to the data archive which shows this picture:



I have highlighted your placemarked bull-ring at the bottom left of the image. Note also just above it I have highlighted a small distinctively-shaped wisp of cloud. That wisp of cloud also shows in the main GE image right next to the bull-ring, which would seem to indicate conclusively that the main GE image at your placemark is indeed an image of the bull-ring on 1st Dec 2005.

Here is a video of the crash.

in GE, just outside the entrance to the bullring is a white coach. This can be seen briefly in the video in the background.

Putting all this together, I would say that you are absolutely right and that this is a shot of the police helicopter shortly before it crashed, slightly injuring the politicians who were passengers.

Once again congratulations for spotting the helicopter in the first place, and even more so for making the connection. You've made my morning

Cheers

Frank


Edited by Frank_McVey (04/24/06 03:49 AM)