ISLAMABAD: A Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopterassisting local police during an active shooting incident crashed innorthern Arizona, killing both the pilot and the trooper-paramedic onboard. The aircraft went down while en route to support Flagstaff PoliceDepartment officers and other law-enforcement agencies responding to areported active shooter situation. Authorities confirmed no survivors fromthe helicopter and the incident remains under active investigation.
The crash occurred on a clear afternoon when the specially equipped OH-58Kiowa Warrior variant, operated by the Arizona DPS Aviation Section, wasdispatched from its base to provide aerial observation, coordination andpotential medical support. Sergeant Cameron Lee, public information officerfor the Department of Public Safety, stated that the crew was airborne forapproximately twelve minutes before radar and radio contact were lost nearthe community of Parks, roughly twenty-five miles west of Flagstaff.
Preliminary reports indicate the helicopter suffered a catastrophic failureleading to loss of control and impact with terrain at high speed. Firstresponders from Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Fire Departmentand DPS ground units reached the remote site within twenty minutes andconfirmed both occupants deceased on impact. The rugged high-desertlandscape, combined with the violent nature of the crash, complicatedinitial recovery efforts.
The pilot, identified as a veteran DPS aviator with over 2,800 flighthours, and the trooper-paramedic, a certified flight medic assigned to theRanger crew, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Names are beingwithheld pending notification of next of kin and completion of formalidentification procedures. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs issued a statementexpressing profound sorrow and directing state flags to half-staff inhonour of the fallen public-safety personnel.
This marks the second fatal Arizona DPS helicopter accident in the pastseven years. In 2018 a similar Ranger helicopter crashed during asearch-and-rescue mission in the Superstition Mountains, claiming threelives and prompting a comprehensive safety review of maintenance protocolsand flight operations. The National Transportation Safety Board led thatearlier investigation, ultimately citing a combination of mechanicalfactors and pilot spatial disorientation in whiteout conditions.
Aviation safety experts note that law-enforcement helicopters operate ininherently high-risk environments, frequently at low altitudes overchallenging terrain while performing time-critical missions. The OH-58platform, originally developed for military scout and attack roles, hasbeen widely adopted by American state police agencies for its reliability,compact size and ability to operate from unimproved landing zones.
Data from the NTSB aviation accident database shows that between 2015 and2024, twenty-three law-enforcement or emergency-medical helicopter crashesoccurred across the United States, resulting in thirty-nine fatalities.Mechanical failure accounted for approximately thirty-two percent of thoseincidents, while pilot error or loss of control in visual meteorologicalconditions contributed to another forty-one percent.
The Flagstaff Police Department clarified that the original active-shootercall, which prompted the helicopter’s dispatch, ultimately proved to beunfounded after officers completed a thorough search of the reportedlocation. No shots were fired by police or suspects, and no civilianinjuries were reported from that separate incident.
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The crash site has been secured as a federal accident investigation scene.Both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration have dispatched teamsof investigators to recover the flight-data recorder, cockpit voicerecorder (if equipped), wreckage components and electronic devices. Apreliminary report is expected within ten to fourteen days, with a finalprobable-cause determination typically issued twelve to eighteen monthslater.
Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Heston Silbert described thecrew as dedicated professionals who routinely placed themselves in harm’sway to protect communities across the state. Counselling services have beenactivated for fellow troopers, pilots, dispatchers and first responders whointeracted with the deceased officers.
Public-safety aviation units across the American Southwest expressedsolidarity, with several departments grounding similar helicopters pendinginitial findings. The incident has renewed discussion about the increasingreliance on airborne assets for routine patrol and emergency response invast rural jurisdictions such as northern Arizona.
Source:https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/breaking/2024/07/18/arizona-dps-helicopter-crash-flagstaff/74428967007/
crash, National Transportation Safety Board
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