From The Kathryn Report -
The pilot, Chris Dupree (right), and his passenger, Jean Paul Dame', walked away from the crash with minor injuries.
A pair filming a story partially about kudzu found kudzu to be their best friend Monday when the helicopter in which they were riding went down in a patch off Old U.S. 70 just inside McDowell.
The pilot, Chris Dupree, and his passenger, Jean Paul Damé, both of Raleigh, walked away from the crash with just scrapes and bruises, according to John Crockett, a district manager with the U.S. Forest Service.
Dupree works for WNC Aviation and was flying Damé around the region to film footage for a documentary about invasive species. Damé is a director with Firehorse Films.
It was not known at deadline Monday what caused the 10-year-old Schweizer 300CB two-seater chopper to go down.
Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration will be on the scene Tuesday to examine the crash.
Crockett said someone will secure the site until the FAA arrives, and then WNC Aviation will likely have to hire a contractor to pull the wreckage out.
The chopper went down around 2 p.m. The crash site was located approximately 100 feet down an embankment and about 300 feet below Point Lookout, where emergency crews set up a command post Monday.
There originally appeared to be a fuel leak, but Crockett stated late Monday afternoon that that no longer seemed to be the case. He added that a hazardous materials crew had been called in to double check.
McDowell County Emergency Management Director Terry Young said the 911 center received several calls about the downed copter, including one from the Asheville Airport. MAMA, Memorial Mission’s helicopter, and a chopper from the N.C. Highway Patrol flew over the area and located the wreckage.
On the scene were members of McDowell County Emergency Medical Services, McDowell County Rescue Squad, Old Fort Volunteer Fire Department, McDowell County Emergency Management, U.S. Forest Service, N.C. Highway Patrol and Black Mountain Fire Department.
Last edited by fly911; 23rd Jun 2010 at 16:04.
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