Four survivors of a deadly helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon on Saturday evening were rescued during an operation that stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning, according to Police…
(CNN) — Four survivors of a deadly helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon on Saturday evening were rescued during an operation that stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning, according to Police Chief Francis E. Bradley Sr. of the Hualapai reservation.
The helicopter was operated by Papillon Airways, an aerial sightseeing company that gives tours of the Grand Canyon and other locations, Bradley said.
Three people died when the EC-130 went down at 5:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. ET) Saturday near Quartermaster Canyon, within the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai Nation.
A pilot and six passengers from the United Kingdom were on board, Bradley said.
First responders had difficulty reaching the four survivors, which included the pilot, because of windy, dark and rugged conditions, Bradley said.
Rescuers got help from military aircraft from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and were eventually able to fly all four of the injured to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas by Sunday morning, Bradley said.
Crews will work Sunday to retrieve the bodies of those who died in the crash, Bradley said, but weather conditions were hampering efforts.
Photos of the crash scene showed flames and dark smoke rising from rocky terrain.
Teddy Fujimoto told CNN affiliate KSNV he was in the area taking photographs when he witnessed the aftermath of the crash.
“I saw these two ladies run out of it, and then an explosion. One of the survivors… looked all bloody. Her clothes probably were burnt off,” Fujimoto told KSNV.
“The ladies were screaming…. It was just horrible,” he said.
FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer earlier said the aircraft sustained considerable damage in the crash.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, Kenitzer said.
Papillon Airways describes itself on its website as “the world’s largest aerial sightseeing company” and adds that it provides “the only way to tour the Grand Canyon.”
The company says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours. It also notes that it “abides by flight safety rules and regulations that substantially exceed the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration.”
“It is with extreme sadness we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the families involved in this accident. Our top priority is the care and needs of our passengers and our staff,” Papillon Group CEO Brenda Halvorson said Sunday.
NTSB records show a helicopter operated by Papillon was involved in a deadly crash on August 10,2001, near Meadview, Arizona. The pilot and five passengers were killed; one passenger survived, the NTSB report shows.
NTSB investigators determined the probable cause of the 2001 crash was pilot error.
