Investigators Head To Western Slope Helicopter Crash Site
SILT, Colo. (AP/CBS4) — National Transportation Safety Board and FAA officials are expected to arrive Tuesday to investigate after a helicopter crashed near Silt in western Colorado, killing all three people aboard.
Authorities say the three men were killed Monday morning during a routine aerial inspection of power lines when the helicopter snagged a line and crashed.
Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario tells the Glenwood Springs Post Independent that Doug Sheffer, the owner and chief pilot for DBS Helicopters, based in Rifle, was among those killed. The names of the other two on board have not been released.
The Aspen Daily News reports that Sheffer "racked up more than 8,000 hours of high country flying time" during his career. Some of his work in the air included running mountain rescue missions and helping the Colorado Department of Transportation with rockfall mitigation work.
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)