Saturday, October 04, 2014

Celier Xenon R, N719MB: Fatal accident occurred October 04, 2014 in Loma, Colorado

NTSB Identification: CEN15LA004
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 04, 2014 in Loma, CO
Aircraft: CELIER AVIATION XENON R, registration: N719MB
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 4, 2014, about 1817 mountain daylight time, a Celier Aviation model Xenon R gyroplane, N719MB, was destroyed when it impacted power transmission wires near Loma, Colorado. The commercial pilot and passenger received fatal injuries. The aircraft was registered to Western Centurion LLC, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The local flight originated from the Grand Junction Regional Airport, Grand Junction, Colorado, about 1800.


WESTERN CENTURION LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N719MB


Mark Shook in a photo from the Colorado Rotorcraft Association website


Mark Shook was among the most expert pilots of rotorcraft -- a helicopter-like vehicle sometimes called a gyroplane -- in the Rocky Mountain region. He was president of the Colorado Rotorcraft Association and had been flying for many years. So it was a shock to the entire rotorcraft community when he was identified as one of two victims in a tragic accident that took place in Western Colorado this weekend.

Read more here:   http://blogs.westword.com


GRAND JUNCTION — A pilot and passenger killed in a crash in western Colorado on Saturday were in-laws who had decided to fly over the Colorado National Monument, a family member said.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported Wednesday (http://tinyurl.com/lg6d43r) that Mark Shook, 61, was an experienced aviator and businessman and a former school board member.

His wife’s sister, Rebecca Molle, 50, was the passenger. She was an avid horsewoman who had worked as a dental assistant.

The Xenon R gyroplane crashed into the Colorado River northwest of Grand Junction. Gyroplanes look like helicopters, but they are powered by propellers. Air flow created by the aircraft’s forward motion spins the rotors, which provide lift.

Shook and Molle intended to fly over the national monument, a 32-square-mile preserve of plateaus and canyons outside Grand Junction, Shook’s son Tom said. They took off from Grand Junction Regional Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report said the aircraft struck power lines. The cause is under investigation.

Shook and Molle were the only people aboard, and no one on the ground was injured, officials said. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office said Shook died of injuries from the crash and Molle drowned.

Tom Shook said his father lived in Peyton, about 25 miles northeast of Colorado Springs and was visiting Molle, who lived in Grand Junction.

Mark Shook served on the board of the Meadow Lake Airport in Peyton. “He was always a big enthusiast of aviation and tried to share it with everybody,” his son said.

Mark Shook had served in the Army and owned a retail audio and electronics business. He had served on the Falcon School District board and taught a Sunday school class for prison inmates.

Molle moved to Colorado in 2010 from California. She had studied at Pikes Peak Community College.

http://www.vaildaily.com

A yellow, two-seat helicopter crashed into the Colorado River Saturday evening, Oct. 4, 2014 not far from the Loma exit off Interstate 70. A witness confirmed two fatalities as a result of the crash. Due to the remote nature of the accident scene, another helicopter was called into service to ferry personnel back and forth from the crash site. 
(AP Photo/Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Christopher Tomlison)


A witness with eyes on the crash scene of a helicopter that was downed in the Colorado River near Loma reports that there are two fatalities asa result of the crash.

Radio traffic seems to confirm the two fatalities.

The crash site is not easily accessible, so another helicopter has been dispatched to ferry personnel back and forth from the scene.

The closest major roadway is the Loma exit of Interstate 70.


- Source:  http://www.gjsentinel.com

LOMA, Colo. Grand Valley Power confirms that many people throughout the valley are without power Saturday night due to the helicopter crash near Loma. Sources with GVP say the helicopter may have damaged their power lines.
 
According to the GVP outage website, nearly 600 homes are without power as of 8:15 p.m. Saturday night.

Emergency radio traffic indicates the Mesa County Coroner has been paged to the scene of a helicopter crash in the Colorado River near Loma. The page went out at roughly 7:40 p.m. Saturday evening.

We have confirmed that a Xenon Gyroplane helicopter crashed in the Colorado River near Loma. At least two people were on board at the time of the crash.

According to the FAA's Allen Kenitzer: "There was an aircraft accident Saturday near Loma, Colo. The aircraft, a Xenon Gyroplane, crashed under unknown circumstances into the Colorado River near Highway 6, Exit 15."

All information regarding the crash is as a result of a preliminary investigation and is subject to change.

Multiple agencies responded to the area of I-70 at exit 15 near Loma at around 6:10 p.m.

Emergency radio traffic indicates someone was in the river attempting to get a victim out of the helicopter. Our crews on scene say two fishermen saw the crash occur and entered the river trying to rescue the victims.


MESA COUNTY – At least two people were aboard a helicopter that crashed into the Colorado River Saturday near Loma, Allen Kenitzer with the Federal Aviation Administration confirms.

The aircraft, identified by Kenitzer as a Xenon Gyroplane, crashed under unknown circumstances near Highway 6, exit 15.

Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

Loma is located just northwest of Grand Junction, near McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area.

No additional information was immediately available.


- Source:   http://www.9news.com

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