*** Second Helicopter Crash in a week, Utah County, USA *** Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 17:56:28 -0600 From: Chris Reed To: sarinfo@istar.ca Subject: Helicopter Crash in Utah Co, Utah At 1827 hours on January 15, the Utah County Sheriff Search and Rescue was called out to search for a Bell 47 helicopter that was four hours overdue in the Strawberry Reservoir area in northern Utah. The two Federal Wildlife Officers in aircraft were doing coyote control work in the area and they were to meet family members at Sheep Creek at 1400 hours. Wasatch County Search and Rescue was also called out to proceed into the search area from their side. A storm was approaching and it was due to hit the area in four to six hours with an additional 12"-18" of new snow. The search area was at the 9000-foot level and the access was difficult because the snow was five to seven feet deep. The last couple of feet was new powder and the avalanche danger in the area was high in steep terrain. The first Utah County teams into Spanish Fork Canyon were sent up road-accessible side canyons in an attempt to contact the missing men on their wildlife frequency. A fixed wing aircraft from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office searched the area and spotted a flashing light and a campfire in a steep draw in the Willow Creek and Boiler Canyon area. A faint E.L.T. could be heard directly over the site. The pilot was able to get a fix on the location with a G.P.S.. A command post was established at Soldier Summit and three teams of snowmobilers and a snowcat were sent into the crash site. The approach from the Wasatch County side was faster and the pilot of the fixed wing directed Wasatch County SAR by radio into the area. A Life Flight helicopter was dispatched and they were able to hover over the crash site and establish that there was a mobile survivor. The medical helicopter was unable to land in the steep terrain and deep snow so it responded back to the command post to pick up a drop pack with clothing, food, medical gear and a radio in it. The pack was dropped near the crash site and the pilot of the downed helicopter reported on the radio that his passenger had been ejected and killed in the crash and that he was unhurt. All the snowmobile teams had trouble accessing the site due to deep powder. Rescuers would sink up to their waists if they stepped off the machines without putting on snowshoes. Some of the smaller and less powerful snowmobiles were buried to the upper half of their windshields. The snowcat caught up with the Utah County snowmobile teams in the last mile of the eight-mile trip in and made the track through the deep powder much easier. The Wasatch County team met with the victim and an EMT verified the condition of the victims at 2230 hours. The deceased passenger was loaded into the snowcat and the pilot and his gear were transported out on snowmobiles. The pilot said they had been shooting at a coyote when the tail rotor clipped a tree and caused the helicopter to crash. The blowing snow was starting to get serious when the teams left the crash site. The trip out was much easier in the fresh cat tracks and the pilot was delivered to family members at the command post at 0330 hours. -----------------------