On January 17, 2018, a
Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopter of Sapphire Aviation crashed near
Raton, New Mexico
Raton ( ) is a city and the county seat of Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico. The city is located just south of Raton Pass. The city is also located about 6.5 miles south of the New Mexico–Colorado border and 85 miles west of Texas.
His ...
, United States. Five of the six people on board were killed. The sole survivor was in serious condition.
Accident
The helicopter crashed and caught fire east of
Raton, New Mexico
Raton ( ) is a city and the county seat of Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico. The city is located just south of Raton Pass. The city is also located about 6.5 miles south of the New Mexico–Colorado border and 85 miles west of Texas.
His ...
. The pilot, pilot rated passenger, and three of the four passengers on board were killed, including
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
an politician
Roy Bennett and British world record holder
Charles Burnett III. Burnett had set the record for a steam-powered car in 2009. The sole survivor, Andra Cobb, was the daughter of the pilot rated passenger Paul Cobb, and the long term romantic partner of Charles Burnett. Cobb was seriously injured but was able to raise the alarm by cellphone; although she was unable to give the location of the crash, it was located by
New Mexico State Police
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
on a ranch east of Raton.
The aircraft was flying from
Raton Municipal Airport to a site in
Folsom, New Mexico. It crashed at about 18:00 local time.
The ''
Albuquerque Journal'' reported that the pilot had said that there had been mechanical problems with the helicopter the day before the accident. It was stated that these had been fixed before the fatal flight.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a
Bell UH-1H Iroquois,
registration
Register or registration may refer to:
Arts entertainment, and media Music
* Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc.
* ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller
* Registration (organ), th ...
N658H,
msn
MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95.
The Microsoft Net ...
9856.
The aircraft served with the United States Army (as serial number "67-17658") and saw action during the Vietnam War, it crashed on 31 May 1969 at
Firebase Eagles Nest.
It was returned to the United States and repaired and used by the
Ohio Army National Guard
The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the Ohio National Guard and the Army National Guard of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio ...
before being retired to the Firelands Military Museum in Ohio.
Investigation
The US
National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation into the accident.
The report cited pilot error, determining pilot Coleman Dodd was flying too low. Investigators said a low therapeutic amount of an
antihistamine
Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provid ...
was found in his blood but could not say with certainty it contributed to his inability to avoid crashing.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sapphire Aviation Bell UH-1H Iroquois crash, 2018
2018 in New Mexico
Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 2018
Aviation accidents and incidents in New Mexico
January 2018 events in the United States
Accidents and incidents involving helicopters
Raton, New Mexico