Southern Oregon man dies in helicopter crash
07/07/2005
Associated Press
A helicopter crash in Italy killed an Erickson Air-Crane mechanic and injured three other people, a company official said.
Marty Erickson, 49, of Rogue River died. Erickson pilot Chris Woods, 31, of Washington state, Erickson mechanic Troy Niemeyer, 30, of Eagle Point and Italian pilot Floriano Finmore, 50, sustained minor injuries in Wednesday's crash, said Dennis Hubbard, the company spokesman.
Details were sketchy on how the crash occurred. Hubbard could not confirm an Italian newspaper report that said the helicopter went down five minutes after taking off from a Rome airport.
The helicopter was built by Erickson Air-Crane in Central Point for use by the Italian forest service. The helicopters are equipped for firefighting with a 2,650-gallon tank system and foam cannon.
Hubbard said Erickson was not related to the Central Point company's founders.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Hubbard said.