A state wildlife control officer died and a helicopter pilot is recovering from injuries sustained in a helicopter crash Wednesday afternoon while the pair were hunting coyotes from the air south of Strawberry Reservoir.
Allen H. Carter, 57, was reached by Utah and Wasatch County search and rescue teams at the crash site late Wednesday night. He was brought out of a remote area in Wasatch County and was treated at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center Thursday morning. His passenger, identified as 38-year-old Payson resident Shane Cornwall, a trapper employed by the state government, was killed.The accident occurred about seven miles south of Strawberry Reservoir. Carter was taken to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center early Thursday.
"He's doing well," said spokesman Anton Garrity. "He is in fair condition and has some minor injuries. He is being treated for some cuts and abrasions." He added that Carter, a native of Minersville, Beaver County, would be released on Thursday.
Wednesday's incident was the second fatal accident involving a helicopter in four days on the Wasatch Front. On Sunday, a medical helicopter crash killed all four people on board in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Carter told National Transportation Safety Board investigators that the helicopter was going down a draw. Carter said that when he pulled the helicopter up and tried to turn, he "lost control of it after hearing a loud noise." The helicopter then slammed into the side of the draw.
Carter was unable to tell investigators what might have killed Cornwall.
The Bell 47, two-seat helicopter carrying Carter and Cornwall was supposed to arrive at approximately 2 p.m. at Sheep's Creek to refuel following a day of shooting coyotes, according to Lyle Carter, the pilot's nephew. At about 5:43, authorities heard the Emergency Landing Transmitter of the aircraft, which might have been set off following the impact of the crash. LDS LifeFlight was dispatched to look for the missing helicopter.
When it was located, LifeFlight could not land near the crash site but dropped emergency supplies to Carter. The wreckage was near a steep ravine, resting on top of several feet of fresh powder. The area is a popular snowmobiling and cross-country skiing spot.
Hours later, at about 10:30 p.m., search and rescue crews arrived on the scene on snowmobiles and Snowcats. Carter was taken part way out of the canyon on a Snowcat and then flown by LifeFlight to the base of Spanish Fork Canyon where he was reunited with his family.
Wasatch County Sheriff Mike Spanos said the most difficult aspect of the evening's events was reaching the crash site. Utah County requested help from Wasatch County at about 7 p.m.
Three members of Wasatch County's search and rescue team found Carter after spending hours traveling on snowmobiles.
"They had to work their way through about 5 feet of powder," said Spanos. The downed aircraft was in a ravine, which made the situation even more dicey for rescuers. And at about the time they found Carter, a storm set in, making visibility almost zero.
"It's treacherous country," said Spanos. "This area should never be accessed at this time of year." Spanos also praised the joint effort of Wasatch County and Utah County search and rescue crews. "We have some real heroes on those teams. People won't realize what kind of risks that were taken to reach the victims. It took a great deal of cooperation by a lot of people."
Mike Bodenchuk, state director for the Utah State Division of Agriculture's Wildlife Services, confirmed the purpose of the trip taken by Carter and Cornwell was aerial shooting of coyotes who are preying on sheep.
"We developed the strategy of hunting coyotes with helicopters because it reduces the number of sheep lost each year," he said.
Cornwall had worked for 13 years as a trapper for Wildlife Services while Carter was contracted as a pilot. Bodenchuk said the department frequently used Carter's services. A private rancher paid for the pair's attempt to control the coyote population in the area. Agriculture Deparment spokesman Larry Lewis said similar aerial hunting missions are most common during the wintertime. "It's an important program," he said. "It saves millions of dollars in lost livestock every year."
Bodenchuk said it was the first helicopter crash involving this type of hunting in the state's history. He added that in October 1996, two employees were killed in a crash involving a fixed wing airplane outside Holden.
"We're not flying any helicopters or fixed wing airplanes today," he said. "This has really hurt our agency. Aviation safety has always been a concern in our agency."
Lewis explained that Wildlife Services is a partnership between the state government, federal government and livestock owners. The purpose is to control livestock predators, which is funded by cattle, turkey and sheep growers.