RCMP Pilot Killed In Crash Of Police Helicopter During Training Exercise

An RCMP AS350 Helicopter after crashing in the snow on takeoff. Photo: CTV News.A civilian RCMP helicopter pilot died Tuesday afternoon from injuries suffered in the crash of his AS350 turbine powered helicopter east of Vancouver.  Few details are available except to say that the crash occurred at the end of a training exercise with the Mounties Emergency Response Team, in the Cultus Lake area of Chilliwack.  The helicopter was apparently lifting off to return to base when it crashed in front of members of the Emergency Response Team, who immediately came to the pilot's aid.  The pilot was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.  Heavy snow and strong winds struck the Fraser Valley Tuesday morning but a spokesman for the RCMP declined to speculate if the crash was weather related.  The pilot was described by the RCMP as being very experienced, and as having worked for the RCMP as a pilot for a number of years.  

Texas Department of Public Safety Helicopter Helps Bust Cockfight

A Texas DPS patrol helicopter assisted the Bexar County Sheriff's Office in taking down an active cockfighting ring on Sunday.  The illegal cockfight, in southwest Bexar County had attracted over a hundred people who were watching and betting on the activity.  As the helicopter and deputies closed in, people fled in all directions.  Still, a total of 74 citations were issued, 26 vehicles were impounded, and $42,000 in cash was confiscated along with a number of roosters and fighting paraphernalia.  San Antonio is the largest city in Bexar County.

San Diego Police Helicopter Directs K9 Handler To ATM Thieves Hiding In Brush

The San Diego Police helicopter crew were in the process of putting their helicopter away early Sunday morning when deputies in the Spring Valley area called for assistance.  San Diego Sheriff's deputies out of the Lemon Grove station were in pursuit of a pick up truck with a stolen ATM in the back, and two parolees in the front.  A witness observed the thieves taking the ATM from a gas station on Campo Rd in Rancho San Diego.  A deputy spotted the vehicle as it fled the area, at times blacking out and driving the wrong way on State Route 54 near Bonita.  The two thieves abandoned their vehicle in the area of Route 54 and Route 125 and fled into a large open area.  As deputies set up a perimeter the San Diego Police helicopter arrived on scene and began to conduct a search of the open area with their FLIR camera.  The TFO quickly located both suspects hiding in brush, about 15 feet apart.  The tactical flight officer directed a Sheriff's K9 unit to the first suspect who refused to cooperate and was bitten.  The second suspect suffered the same fate just moments later.  Steven Seda, 40, of Lakeside, and James Silbernagel, 44, of El Cajon, were booked on several felony charges related to this incident.  Both have extensive criminal records.  

Australian Police Helicopter Crew Helps Nab Purse Snatcher

A helicopter and crew from the New South Wales Aviation Support Branch assisted ground units on Sydneys West side with the pursuit and apprehension of a prolific purse snatch- robbery suspect.  It all started Wednesday afternoon when a 20 year old man forcibly robbed two ladies of their handbags- one near Harris Park and another near Pendle Hill.  In both cases the suspect fled in a stolen vehicle.  Officers were able to intercept the vehicle which fled on South Wentworthville in an attempt to evade.  A lengthy foot pursuit followed when the suspect abandoned the stolen car at the end of a residential street and ran into several back yards.  A police dog team flushed the suspect out but he continued to resist officers by running across six lanes of the M4 motorway and six lanes of the Great Western Highway.  With the NSW police helicopter tracking the suspect from the air, officers eventually closed in and took him into custody.  The suspect was being held on three counts of robbery, car theft, and aggravated breaking and entering.  The New South Wales  Aviation Support Branch operates the following aircraft;  Two single-engine Eurocopter Squirrel helicopters, one twin-engine Eurocopter Squirrel, one twin-engine Kawasaki BK117 (rescue helicopter), one twin-engine Eurocopter EC135 helicopter and one single-engine Cessna 206 Stationair airplane.

Alachua County (FL) Sheriff's Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing

Photo- Candace Copeland, Gainesville Fl. Alachua Sheriff's OH-58 helicopter.An Alachua Sheriff's helicopter made an emergency landing on Thursday December 8th while on routine patrol in Gainesville Florida.  The helicopter crew, an Alachua Sheriff's pilot, and a Gainesville Police flight officer were in the process of checking a suspicious vehicle when the helicopter experienced mechanical difficulties.  The pilot was forced to immediately put the helicopter on the ground.  No one was injured during the incident but the helicopter did clip some trees as it settled to the ground near some movie theaters.  What is not known at this time is if the helicopter suffered engine failure, and if the emergency landing was an actual auto-rotational landing.  The Alachua County Sheriff's and Gainesville Police Joint Air Unit has two full time air crews and flies three military surplus OH-58 turbine engine helicopters on patrol.  No injuries were reported. 

Placer County Sheriff's Helicopter Crew Catches Night Time Base Jumper Off Foresthill Bridge

Placer County Sheriff AS350B3 helicopter. Photo- American EurocopterA Placer County Sheriff's Helicopter crew responded to California's tallest bridge last week regarding a report of a suicidal female preparing to jump.  What they found instead was a 39 year old base jumper Aaron McGovern preparing to parachute off the 730 foot high Foresthill Bridge (4th tallest in the U.S.) which spans the American River near Auburn California.  McGovern made the jump but the Sheriff's helicopter crew was able to track the subject with their spotlight all the way to the bottom of the American River Canyon.  Once on the ground McGovern attempted to elude the helicopter by hiding his parachute and fleeing down several trails.  He was eventually taken into custody by ground units.  Parachuting from the bridge is a misdemeanor crime.  Base Jumping is considered one of the worlds most dangerous recreational activities.  The Placer County Sheriff's Department flies an American Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopter on patrol

CHP Helicopter Lifts Suspect And Officers From Slough After Vehicle And Foot Pursuit

A CHP helicopter was called in to assist officers near Eureka California Tuesday afternoon after a lengthy vehicle and foot pursuit left the suspect and two law enforcement officers stuck in a slough, far from any roads.  It all started when a Eureka PD detective attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Jeep that had been driving erratically.  It turns out the Jeep was stolen and the driver was a wanted parolee at large.  The 28 year old parolee lead police on a 14 mile high speed chase traveling south bound on Highway 101.  Just south of Table Bluff the suspect left the highway and drove onto the beach where officers in patrol cars could not follow.  However, a warden with the California Department of Fish and Game had been monitoring the pursuit and was in the area.  The warden picked up a CHP officer and they continued the pursuit in the warden's 4x4 vehicle.  The vehicle pursuit soon turned into a foot pursuit through several small bodies of water in the area of Hawk Slough.  The law officer duo eventually caught up to the suspect hiding under a log.  A CHP helicopter from Redding California responded and lifted the men out one at a time.  It was unclear what method the helicopter crew used, and how the suspect was secure prior to being lifted out.  Many CHP helicopters are outfitted with external hoist for rescue operations.  

UK Police Helicopter Crew Spots Body From The Air

A Devon and Cornwall Police helicopter on routine patrol over the community of Ivybridge in Devon, spotted the body of a man near a set of railway tracks.  The crew spotted the body around 4:00 PM on Saturday near the area of Langham Levels.  There was no immediate indication as to the cause of death.  British Transportation Police were called in to investigate since the body was found in close proximity to the rail lines.   

Lorain County (OH) Deputy Shot; Cleveland Police Helicopter Locates Suspect With FLIR

A Lorain County Ohio deputy sheriff was shot Monday night by a man who had just shot his own dog and cat and barricaded himself in his house in Lagrange Township.  The 39 year old deputy had responded to the home along with his sergeant and 4 other deputies after the suspects mother placed a call to authorities.  During the ensuing standoff the suspect exited the house and engaged deputies in an exchange of gunfire.  The deputy was struck in an area near his left armpit, not covered by his ballistic vest.  He was transported to a hospital where he was recently upgraded from critical to fair condition.  The suspect fled the scene on foot kicking off a large scale manhunt as law officers from throughout the region flooded into the area.  The Cleveland Police Helicopter responded and began conducting a FLIR search of the surrounding terrain.  After about 20 minutes of searching the helicopter crew located the suspect in the middle of an open field off of state route 301, near the Harlan airfield.  The 42 year old suspect committed suicide as a SWAT team approached to take him into custody.  

LAPD Helicopter Makes Precautionary Landing At College

An LAPD helicopter made a precautionary landing around 2:00 PM Monday afternoon,  but the reasons for the landing were not immediately clear.  The Bell Jet Ranger helicopter, often used by the LAPD for initial pilot training, set down on the Pierce College football field in Woodland Hills California.  There were no injuries and not damage to the helicopter.

Ventura County Sheriff's Helicopter Assists With Arrest Of Jewelry Theives

A helicopter and crew from the Ventura County Sheriff's Air Support unit assisted Simi Valley Police with a jewelry store robbery, and subsequent search yesterday morning.  The jewelry store, in the 1900 block of Sequoia Avenue, was robbed around 10:30 am by three armed men.  A white sedan believed to be the getaway vehicle was recovered in a nearby neighborhood after witnesses called police to report seeing three men leave the vehicle and flee into the neighborhood on foot.  Simi Valley police officers swarmed the neighborhood with the Sheriff's helicopter overhead and took two of the three men into custody.  The investigation was ongoing. 

Fresno County Sheriff's Helicopter Helps With Capture Of Murderer

The Fresno Sheriff's helicopter and crew assisted Fresno police this morning as they tracked down and arrested a prolific car thief wanted for murder.  The suspect, 30 year old Tino Tufono, was arrested after undercover officers spotted him walking in the area of Clinton and Bond Streets in central Fresno.  The officers were acting on a tip from an anonymous source that Tufono was in the area.  Tufono was released from jail just days before he shot another man over an argument at a Fresno residence on East Clinton in the early morning hours of December 6th.  The Fresno Sheriff's Air Support Unit flies MD500 type helicopters on patrol.  

Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter Searches For Armed Suspects

The Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter used its onboard thermal imaging equipment Monday night to search for two suspects who fled from Beltrami County Sheriff's Deputies.  Deputies were called to a home in the area of Turtle River after a report of shots fired.  As the deputies came on scene the observed a vehicle fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed.  The fleeing vehicle was soon disabled by a tire deflation device at which time two of the three passengers fled into a wooded area.  On occupant of the vehicle was taken into custody.  An AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition were also located in the vehicle.  One of the suspects who fled from the vehicle was holding a handgun as he ran.  After an extensive search by the state patrol helicopter, the suspects were not located.   

San Diego Sheriff Helicopter Crew Flies Severed Arm To Hospital

A man's arm was severed near the shoulder Thursday afternoon while working on a Cal-Trans brush clearing project along Hwy 76 in Bonsall California.  The freak accident occurred when a fixed steel cable lying under heavy brush got caught in machinery being used to clear the brush.  The cable snapped severing the victims arm and launching the limb into the air and into heavy brush some distance away.  Deputies from the Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation responded and ultimately requested Sheriff's Search and Rescue at the urging of an emergency room nurse.  Doctors advised that there was probably a 3 hour window for the limb to be re-attached.  But the arm had to be found first.  Two K9 deputies along with about 25 search and rescue members responded.  The effort resulted in the arm being located almost 50 yards from where the accident occurred.  Approximately one hour and fifteen minutes had passed since the accident, inside the 3 hour window.   The arm was packed in ice and a saline solution and flown by a Sheriff's helicopter crew to Palomar Hospital where surgeons began working to re-attach it.  

Fresno (Ca) Sheriff's Deputy Jumps From Helicopter To Catch Fleeing Suspect

A radio call of a possible Grand Theft turned into a 10 mile high speed pursuit in Fresno County Wednesday evening according to officials. Someone called the Fresno Sheriff's Department to report that the driver of pick up truck may be stealing copper wire.  When deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle the driver fled.  As the chase unfolded the Fresno Sheriff's Helicopter responded and began tracking the suspect vehicle from the air.  At one point the suspect vehicle ran over a fence, dragging a portion of it under the truck for the next several miles.  As the truck reached the intersection of Barstow and Dower in the Kerman area, it left the roadway and ended up in the river bottom.  As the driver fled on foot the Sheriff's Helicopter maneuvered into a hover low enough for the Tactical Flight Officer to leap from the helicopter and chase the suspect down.  The suspect was turned over to ground units for booking.  The Fresno County Sheriff's Office flies MD500 series helicopters.

Pilot Rides Out Helicopter Crash Near Grand Canyon AZ

UH-1H Helicopter crashed near Valle Arizona Airport. Photo- Coconino County Sheriff's Dept.A Glendale Arizona man was being treated at the Flagstaff Medical Center for serious but non life threatening injuries after surviving a helicopter crash near the Valle Arizona airport Tuesday morning.  The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 8:30 am from the pilot who advised he was pinned inside the wreckage of the UH-1H Huey Helicopter.  The pilot told responding deputies that the helicopter began experiencing mechanical troubles and he was attempting to land when the crash occurred.  The helicopter was being operated by Airwest of Glendale, which contracts with the Havasupai Indian Tribe.  According to an FAA spokesman the pilot reported problems with the transmission.  

Helicopter Crashes At Oregon Christmas Tree Farm, Pilot Survives

Bell 206 Helicopter on it's side in an Oregon Christmas Tree Farm. Photo- Marion County Sheriff's Office.A helicopter hauling Christmas trees out of a tree farm north of Woodburn Oregon crashed Monday afternoon, but the pilot was able to climb out of the wreckage under his own power.  The helicopter, owned by a company in Seattle, was lifting the trees with a line attached to the bottom of the aircraft in a maneuver known in the industry as long lining.  The 1981 Bell 206 turbine powered helicopter appeared to suffer heavy damage according to officials at the scene.  A Life Flight helicopter transported the pilot to the Oregon Health and Sciences University Hospital in Portland for treatment.  Marion County Sheriff's officials were standing by for the arrival of NTSB investigators late Monday afternoon.  There is no information on the cause of the crash at this time.

Phoenix Police Helicopter Assists DPS Troopers With Pursuit/Shooting

The Phoenix Police Helicopter and crew responded Friday night to assist State DPS Troopers who were in pursuit of a black Lexus wanted for speeding.  The pursuit began on the Loop 101 in the West Valley and continued for over 30 minutes over freeways and surface streets.  At one point pursuing patrol vehicles backed off while the Phoenix Police Helicopter continued tracking the vehicle from the air. The vehicle attempted to get back on I-17 from the Rose Garden Lane on ramp, but was confronted by a State Trooper out of his vehicle.  The suspect drove his speeding Lexus directly at the trooper causing the trooper to fire his service weapon, striking the suspect.  The suspect was taken into custody a short time later with non life threatening injuries.

Brevard County (FL) Sheriff Helicopter In Boat Chase

The Brevard Sheriff's Helicopter and crew were involved in a Miami Vice style helicopter boat chase Tuesday just after the lunch hour when they spotted a stolen pleasure boat on the Indian River.  This was actually the second boat stolen by the 21 year old suspect on the same day.  The first boat was stolen from a dock on the Pineda Causeway but soon developed engine problems prompting the thief to abandon it and steal the second boat.  Once the Brevard Sheriff's Helicopter began tracking the vessel it began operating in a very erratic manner.  Eventually the young thief disappeared below deck where he attempted to strangle or hang himself as the boat crashed into a dock.  The suspect was taken into custody by deputies and treated for minor injuries before being booked into jail.

Anderson County (SC) Sheriff's Helicopter Searching For Bank Robber

The Anderson County Sheriff's Department Helicopter responded this morning to a robbery at the SunTrust Bank on S. Main Street around 9:00 am this morning.  The robber, described as a white male wearing sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt, got away with an undetermined amount of money.  The suspect was not located despite the air and ground search.  The Anderson County Sheriff's Department operates a single Bell OH-58 turbine powered helicopter.