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Incident Information:
Attachment Size East Mesa Fire Helicopter Accident NTSB Final Investigation Report.pdf (5.42 MB) 5.42 MB -
Location:
New Mexico -
Date:
07/16/2022 -
Incident Type:
Helicopter Incident -
Description:
On Saturday, July 16, 2022, Lieutenant Matthew King from the Bernalillo County Fire Department, and three members of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, were aboard a Bell UH-1H helicopter returning to Albuquerque after performing aerial wildland fire suppression at the East Mesa Fire. The helicopter crashed killing all four occupants. The NTSB determined the crash resulted from a mechanical failure that led to an engine failure and the low altitude coupled with flying into the setting sun led to a failed auto-rotation.
Those lost in the accident were: Fred Beers, Matthew King, Larry Koren, and Michael Levinson.
Helicopter Incident or Accident, Aviation, Helicopters, Fatality
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