Fridley Fire Helicopter Test Flight Accident Fatalities 2001

On August 31, 2001, approximately 0905 hours mountain daylight time, a Kawasaki KV-107 II rotorcraft, N186CH, was destroyed when it collided with terrain following a loss of control in flight during a cruise/climb phase of operation. The crash site was approximately three miles south of Emigrant, Montana. The crash killed pilot Rich Hernandez, co-pilot Santi Arovitx, and crew chief Kip Krigbaum. A post-crash fire destroyed much of the rotorcraft. The flight, which was a non-mandatory maintenance check flight following a phase five inspection and originated from the Fridley Helibase staging site approximately eight nautical miles north of the crash site and slightly north of Emigrant, Montana. The rotorcraft was estimated to have departed on the check flight approximately 0845. The aircraft was under contract with US Forest Service and was engaged in firefighting operations in support of the Fridley Fire centered approximately eight nautical miles north and west of Emigrant, Montana.