An accident report update provided by authorities in Mesa, Arizona, on Sunday, April 26th, confirmed the identity of the man who died in a helicopter crash two days earlier. 55-year-old Chip Paige was the sole passenger in the ill-fated helicopter.
The Mesa Police said that the fatal crash happened on the afternoon of Friday, April 24th, near US 60 and Stapley. The authorities believe that the helicopter was flying from Blythe, California, to Falcon Field when for unknown reasons, it started losing its parts.
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Ground evidence and witness statements revealed that when the parts started coming off, the aircraft spun out of control, and crashed. The dismembered parts of the chopper caused damage to properties in the vicinity of the crash but didn’t hurt anyone.
The Mesa Police Spokeswoman, Brandi George, said that Paige suffered multiple lacerations on different parts of his body, which caused his death. The medics at the scene pronounced him. The pilot of the helicopter, Albert Hayden, survived with minor injuries.
Paige ran the helicopter program for the California-based KNBC News from 2002 to 2009. During that time, he operated Coastal Helicopters and provided aerial service as a pilot/reporter. The man recently got engaged and left behind a young son.
The accident report also revealed that the chopper the deceased was traveling in, sustained substantial damage in a crash in 2008. The helicopter with tail number N3276T was lifting a drill during an external load operation when it lost engine power and landed hard on its landing gear.
The current crash is under investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board taking point. They will provide an update after their inquiry.
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