The Artistry of Alan Purwin: One of the best aerial helicopter pilots in the world died in a plane crash

9/21/2015 ISO 1200 Magazine 0 Comments

Purwin worked on more than 100 films, including the "Transformers" series, "Armageddon" (1998), "Pearl Harbor" (2001) and "Tropic Thunder" (2008). In the 2003 remake of "The Italian Job", he piloted a chopper that screamed through skyscrapers, skimmed over traffic-jammed streets, raced under a bridge and churned through a tunnel as it chased bad guys driving Mini Coopers in downtown Los Angeles -said STEVE CHAWKINS at www.latimes.com-

THE ACCIDENT:

On September 11, 2015, Purwin died as a passenger in a plane crash in Colombia, South America, during the shooting of the film Mena starring Tom Cruise. Purwin was returning to Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín. According to an official, the normal duration of the flight was 10 minutes and it required a skilled pilot to clear the Andes and descend sharply into the steep valley around Medellín. In the crash, Colombian Carlos Berl was also killed, while American pilot Jimmy Lee Garland was seriously injured and rushed to a local hospital.The plane crash, in a twin-engine Piper Aerostar, is attributed to bad weather. (wikipedia)

The Bay Films/Platinum Dunes family is feeling very sad. Alan Purwin was killed yesterday. He was one of the best aerial helicopter pilots in the world. It’s a very small group. He flew camera ships for so many – and for almost every one of my movies. We will miss him. He was one of the most loyal members of my team and a true friend. Michael Bay