Thursday, March 28, 2024

Firey helicopter crash injuries two men

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ORONDO - A helicopter crashed in a cherry orchard on Wednesday, July 6 five miles south of Orondo injured two men and igniting a small fire around 9:20 a.m. On its descent, the aircraft struck a high voltage powerline before landing on an orchard sprayer being driven by an 18-year-old orchard worker. Both men were transported by ambulance to Central Washington Hospital shortly after the incident. According to Kay McKellar, Douglas County Fire District 4 public information officer, the pilot, a 39-year-old man from Kuna, Idaho, broke his arm while the orchardist suffered non-life threatening injuries.
The accident occurred close to the intersection of Longview Road and Weaver Road, about 12 miles north of East Wenatchee. Douglas County PUD officials said the chopper’s collision with the powerlines caused a brief power outage resulting in over 1400 residents between north of Orondo to the Waterville Plateau losing power.
The small blaze caused a tower of black smoke to rise from the orchard. Upon arrival, District 4 firefighters needed to wait for the powerlines to be disconnected before tackling the flames. The crew extinguished the fire around 10:09 a.m. Power was restored roughly 30 minutes later. The crash and ensuing fire destroyed the helicopter.
As of Friday, McKellar said there were not updates to the incident.

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