Denver Injury News

Fill out the form
to speak to an
Injury Lawyer Now.

Helicopter Crashes While Fighting Forest Fire

August 18, 2005

A helicopter crashed while helping crews fight a forest fire. An investigation into the crash at the Drake Fire has already begun with the arrival of a six-member investigative team from the U.S. Forest Service.

Team members flew over the fire 14 miles west of Loveland and later visited the crash site, said Forest Service spokeswoman Mary Ann Chambers. They also had initial meetings with fire and safety officials from the Arapahoe and Roosevelt national forests. The investigators have 60 days to file a preliminary report on the crash and six months to file a final report, she said.

The downed helicopter, a McDonnell Douglas 530F, crashed while carrying equipment to crews at the fire. It came down hard in an area that was already blackened by flames. The pilot, who officials have yet to identify, walked away from the wreckage with only cuts and bruises. He was treated for his injuries at Poudre Valley Hospital and released. The helicopter is owned by Utility Aviation of Fort Collins. The company has a call-when-needed contract with the Forest Service, Chambers said.

Another helicopter was on the fire delivering supplies to fire crews and dropping buckets of water, Chambers said. The remains of the downed helicopter are still on site. More fires popped up in Northern Colorado, the result of lightning storms that passed over the area. "We have aircraft flying over Front Range forests looking for fires," she said.