Fatal helicopter crash triple tragedy for family - report
The New Zealand father who died alongside his son in a helicopter crash in the United States over the weekend had lost another son in a similar crash 10 years ago, according to reports.
Witnesses told the Deseret News that the Hughes 500D helicopter took off from Carbon County Airport with a full load of fuel on Saturday and crashed a short time later.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the father and son were returning from a fishing trip.
A friend of the men, Charles Ward, told the newspaper that the two New Zealanders were James Innes and his son Andrew.
3 News reported that a second son of James Innes, Dan, had been killed in a 1998 helicopter crash in Mexico.
On its website, the station said the Innes family were past owners of Haldon Station in the South Island's MacKenzie Country.
The Innes family had a contract with the Mexican government to capture bighorn sheep.
At the time of Dan Innes' death, a business associate described his father James Innes as a pioneer who had cornered the market in wildlife-recovery operations for various North American agencies.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the helicopter went down amongst sage bushes and oil wells in desert country.
Mr Ward said the pair had been living in Wasatch Front, also in Utah. He said a third man who died in the crash was from Idaho.
The pilot of a helicopter which took off at the same time told the Tribune he saw the helicopter lift without any problems.
Jeremy Johnson said he looked back for the second helicopter but could not see it. He also could not reach the helicopter by radio.
Carbon County Sheriff James Cordova told the paper that the remains of the helicopter were still being removed.
Mr Cordova said that there was not much left of the helicopter besides a tail rotor and the main blades.
He told the paper an investigation into the cause of the crash was under way but high-winds had been ruled out.