Pilot killed in accident at Priest Lake, Idaho
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Pilot killed in accident at Priest Lake, US
Helicopter Accident Near Priest Lake Kills Pilot
The pilot of a logging helicopter was killed Thursday night when it crashed onto steep terrain on the eastern side of Priest Lake.
Bonner County authorities haven't released the pilot's name.
Sheriff's Captain Jim Drake says the helicopter was part of a logging operation north of the Indian Creek State Park.
Drake isn't certain if it was moving logs when it crashed.
Search and rescue personnel hiked a mile from the nearest road to reach the crash Thursday night.
Federal investigators plan to visit the site Friday.
source
The pilot of a logging helicopter was killed Thursday night when it crashed onto steep terrain on the eastern side of Priest Lake.
Bonner County authorities haven't released the pilot's name.
Sheriff's Captain Jim Drake says the helicopter was part of a logging operation north of the Indian Creek State Park.
Drake isn't certain if it was moving logs when it crashed.
Search and rescue personnel hiked a mile from the nearest road to reach the crash Thursday night.
Federal investigators plan to visit the site Friday.
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The aircraft was a Kaman K-600 Huskie and was owned and operated by Precision Helicopters. I think that is about the third one they have lost over the past couple of years. Sad day for all.
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Priest Lake is in the "Panhandle" of North Idaho, 80 miles north of Spokane, Washington, and 30 miles south of the Canadian border.
The lake lies in the Selkirk Mountain Range, an offset of the Rockies, which rise above the east shore to 7,656 feet.
Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane was unable to send a rescue helicopter because of snow and bad visibility.
======================
FAA FSDO: SPOKANE, WA (NM13) Entry date: 11/21/2003
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 286M
Make/Model: K600
Description: KAMAN K-600 ROTORCRAFT
Date: 11/21/2003 Time: 1600
Event Type: Accident
Highest Injury: Fatal
Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: PRIEST RIVER
State: ID Country: US
DESCRIPTION
JC HELICOPTERS SERVICES N286M, A K-600 KAMAN ROTORCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES DURING A LOGGING OPERATION, ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR PRIEST LAKE, PRIEST RIVER, IDAHO.
INJURY DATA
Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1
WEATHER: UNK
OTHER DATA
Activity: Industrial
Special Phase: Unknown
Operation: Other
Departed: UNK Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: UNK
Flt Plan: NONE Wx Briefing: N
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
The lake lies in the Selkirk Mountain Range, an offset of the Rockies, which rise above the east shore to 7,656 feet.
Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane was unable to send a rescue helicopter because of snow and bad visibility.
======================
FAA FSDO: SPOKANE, WA (NM13) Entry date: 11/21/2003
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 286M
Make/Model: K600
Description: KAMAN K-600 ROTORCRAFT
Date: 11/21/2003 Time: 1600
Event Type: Accident
Highest Injury: Fatal
Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: PRIEST RIVER
State: ID Country: US
DESCRIPTION
JC HELICOPTERS SERVICES N286M, A K-600 KAMAN ROTORCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES DURING A LOGGING OPERATION, ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR PRIEST LAKE, PRIEST RIVER, IDAHO.
INJURY DATA
Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1
WEATHER: UNK
OTHER DATA
Activity: Industrial
Special Phase: Unknown
Operation: Other
Departed: UNK Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: UNK
Flt Plan: NONE Wx Briefing: N
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
Last edited by Heliport; 22nd Nov 2003 at 19:38.
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I realise that I'm a little late here with this but I wanted to add a little info. The helicopter was a Kaman K-600 (Otherwise known as the Huskie, or H-43) However it was owned and operated by JC Helicopter Services of Priest River, ID. Precision Helicopters is out of Bonners Ferry. They have leased helicopters from us for the past several years and did unfortunately loose two of them in 2001. At this point we are fairly certain that there was some mechanical problem. Hard to see another good pilot go.
