New Zealand Aviation NEWS: Pilot with Sheriff Dept. is killed in copter crash

A veteran pilot was killed and three passengers were injured Monday when a Pima County Sheriff's Department helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain northwest of Tucson, officials said.
Loren Leonberger, a civilian pilot for the Sheriff's Department, was killed. He was a Vietnam veteran and spent years flying for agencies such as the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Pima County.
The four aboard the helicopter were scouting in the the Ironwood Forest National Monument area for possible locations for radio communication towers when one of the occupants reported to authorities that the aircraft had crashed at about 11:30 a.m., said bureau Chief Rick Kastigar of the Sheriff's Department.
The crash occurred on the side of the Waterman Mountains west of Picture Rocks. The closest intersection is West Avra Valley and North Waterman Mountain roads.
The three surviving passengers were taken to University Medical Center before 2 p.m.
The first passenger was rescued by a Border Patrol agent who hiked up the mountain as helicopters from the Border Patrol and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base arrived.
The extent of the injuries to the three passengers was unknown, but officials said one of them had life-threatening injuries. Their names were not released.
Deputy Jason Ogan, a sheriff's spokesman, said he heard some rescuers say that at least one of the survivors was able to walk after the crash.
The crash location was difficult to reach on the ground, so authorities got help from two Air Force Reserve combat rescue helicopters that were training in the area.
The military choppers, a pair of HH-60 Pave Hawks from the 943rd Rescue Group, made a quick stop at Davis-Monthan to pick up six pararescuers - or PJs - personnel who are trained to conduct rescues under tough conditions.
"In this situation, the airmen flew to the scene and lowered the PJs down as the helicopters hovered nearby," a D-M news release said.
The PJs, who are trained in trauma care, tended to the injuries at the scene before getting the victims onto the helicopter for transport, the news release said.
Rescuers escorted Leonberger's body from the mountain. A fire rescue vehicle led by motorcycle officers and a squad car took Leonberger from the scene around 3 p.m.
Ogan said the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate what caused the crash.
"We'll still be part of the investigation because it's our craft, but it's up to the FAA and the NTSB to get the cause," Ogan said.
He said a federal investigator had arrived in Tucson Monday evening but probably wouldn't start the investigation until today because of darkness. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said Monday night that investigators planned to hike to the scene today.
For the next few days, the "on-scene" phase of the investigation will focus on gathering all evidence, said Terry Williams, a NTSB spokesman. The investigation probably will take several months.
The department's MD-530FF helicopter was built in 1998. The FAA listed Pima County as the owner. The helicopter was involved in a crash in Lihue, Hawaii, in July 2004 before it was bought by Pima County, according to NTSB records. The helicopter was being used for firefighting duties when its main rotor hit a tree, the NTSB reported.
The pilot made an emergency landing, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. One person had minor injuries. No mechanical malfunctions were found.

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