The Department of the Interior says it will continue using helicopters to herd wildlife in national parks despite an accident in October that destroyed a helicopter but only caused minor injuries to the pilot and the biologist on board. The NTSB says the Bell 206 snagged the top wire of a fence as the chopper was being used to coax wild horses into a corral. The aircraft went into a dynamic roll that the pilot was unable to correct and landed on its left side, destroying the rotor, ripping the transmission from its mounts and busting off the tail. The pilot had more than 35,000 flying hours, including 21,000 in the 206. The horses were being rounded up in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, near Medora, N.D., and were to be auctioned off. The crash ended the roundup and the auction, the first in four years, and the horses were set free.
Helicopter Herding To Continue Despite Crash
Key Takeaways:
- The Department of the Interior will continue using helicopters for wildlife herding despite a recent accident involving a Bell 206.
- A highly experienced pilot's helicopter crashed while herding wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park after snagging a fence wire, causing minor injuries but destroying the aircraft.
- The accident ended the wild horse roundup and auction, resulting in the release of the horses back into the park.
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