Helicopter Crash

[ntxhand]

Follow This Article




Childress County helicopter crash kills 1, injures 1


Posted: November 27, 2012 - 6:41pm










Advertisement


By RUSSELL ANGLIN

russell.anglin@amarillo.com











A McLean man was killed and another man was hospitalized Tuesday after a helicopter crash in Childress County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

About 4:05 p.m., Childress County sheriff’s deputies received a helicopter accident call 2½ miles northeast of Childress, authorities said.

A Brim Aviation helicopter piloted by Keith Hard, 42, of Butte County, Calif., was hovering about 150 feet above the ground with Jonathan David Suhr, 23, of McLean sitting on a seat suspended 50 feet below the helicopter hanging a roller on a power line, authorities said.

The helicopter lost power and fell, dropping Suhr with it, authorities said. Suhr died at Childress Regional Medical Center as a result of the accident, DPS said.

Hard was taken to Childress Regional Medical Center for back injuries, the DPS said.

Attempts to reach Brim Aviation representatives were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Federal Aviation Administration records show the helicopter was a Hughes 369D rotorcraft registered to Brim Equipment Leasing Inc. out of Ashland, Ore.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will be at the accident site as soon as possible to investigate the crash, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.

“The National Transportation Safety Board will actually take the lead,” Lunsford said. “They are in charge of investigating all fatal aircraft accidents.”

Lunsford said the FAA will aid NTSB in its investigation. Attempts to reach NTSB were unsuccessful Tuesday night.

Online Editor Ricky Treon contributed to this report.

[makohon]

my buddy was there... said he was hanging from the same copter the week before... sad ****... my buddy got a real wake up call not even 6 months in the trade... hope i never have to see somthin like this