Colorado Pilot Among 5 People Killed In NM Helicopter Crash

RATON, NM — A Colorado pilot and two Colorado passengers were among five people killed in a helicopter crash in Raton, New Mexico, state police said on Twitter. A Bell UH-1 helicopter crashed around 6 p.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday in a mountainous region about 15 miles east of Raton Municipal Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

One person was also severely injured.

State police said in a release that a victim in the crash was the person who called 911. The caller said three people were hurt and three were unaccounted for. Several agencies responded to try to find the crash site, which wasn't immediately apparent. A fire had been reported at a ranch nearby and troopers said the helicopter likely caused that blaze.

Firefighters and law enforcement vehicles responded to the area but "response was slow" due to the the area being "extremely remote with rugged terrain and limited road access," troopers said. A grass fire also scorched the area about a mile around the crash site.

State troopers reported seeing the helicopter wreckage consumed in flames, which made identification difficult. Three people were declared dead at the scene. Two males were found critically hurt. One of them died at the scene shortly thereafter and the other died while being airlifted to a hospital.

The remaining passenger who called 911 was hurt but able to provide some information. That person suffered serious injuries and is expected to live.

The victims were identified by state police as pilot Jamie Coleman Dodd, 57, of Trinidad, Colorado; co-pilot Paul Cobb, 67, of Conroe, Texas; Charles Ryland Burnett, 61, of Houston, Texas; Roy Bennett, 60, of Colorado and South Africa; Eileen Bennett, 55, of Colorado;

The nature of this flight remains a mystery. The helicopter was identified as a private Huey helicopter. The tail number is not available.

Limited flight details indicate the helicopter was traveling from Raton to Folsom, New Mexico. Investigators are trying to confirm the aircraft’s tail number, make and model, Lynn Lunsford of the FAA told Patch in an email. The FAA will then release that information.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, he said. The NTSB confirmed on Twitter it was investigating.

Eric Weiss of the NTSB tells Patch an investigator is headed to the scene and is expected to arrive at 3 p.m. He says he doesn't anticipate any further updates until Friday.

Raton is located on Interstate 25, about 175 miles northeast of Albuquerque, right on the Colorado border.

Update on the helicopter crash in Raton: 6 people were on board. Officers report 5 fatalities and 1 severely injured. FAA will arrive today to investigate cause of the crash. #NMSP officers still working to gain information.
— NMSP (@NMStatePolice) January 18, 2018

NTSB investigating crash yesterday of helicopter 15 miles east of Raton, New Mexico.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) January 18, 2018

Patch has reached out to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety and New Mexico State Police for comment and will update when we hear back.

This is a developing story. Hit refresh for updates.

Story by Daniel Hampton, Patch Staff

Photo credit: A Bell UH-1D helicopter of the Bundeswehr German armed forces participates in military exercises on September 28, 2011 near Munster, Germany. The exercises were a demonstration of the Bundesehr's infantry capability. The Bundeswehr has instituted far-reaching changes in recent years, including an end to compulsory military service. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)