The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
A Life Flight helicopter lies on its side against the old sign post in front of the old Lost Woodsman coffee shop. The helicopter clipped the pole while attempting to land in the parking lot at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, August. 26
A Lincoln Volunteer Fire Rescue truck blocks highway 200 near the crashed helicopter.
Lincoln fire Chief Zach Muse walks past the downed helicopter shortly before Highway 200 re-opened.
Lincoln firefighters sweep debris off the road before re-opening Highway 200.
The tail rotor of the helicopter lies several yards from the crashed aircraft.
A Life Flight helicopter out of Missoula crashed in the parking lot near On the Rocks Liquor at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning after clipping an old sign pole.
The helicopter was responding to a call from the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance, which was treating the victim of a three-wheeler accident near the Lincoln Post Office.
"They called Life Flight. Life Flight came in to land. Why there, I don't know," said Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse. "As he came down to land, there was so much dust and everything he must have not seen the pole."
The crash sent debris several dozen yards in every direction.
Muse said the question everybody would like an answer to is why the pilot attempted to land in the parking lot rather than to meet the ambulance at a more open landing site. A flight tracking app video posted by the Helena Independent Record shows the helicopter making about a half-dozen circles over Lincoln before attempting to land, although the app shows the flight ending west of Lincoln rather than in town.
The crew of the helicopter walked away from the crash without any apparent injuries. Muse said after they crawled out of the wreckage the first responders got them into vehicles and the post office to warm up.
A second helicopter arrived from Missoula and landed in the football field, but Muse said the accident victim was already being transported to Helena by an ambulance from St. Peters Hospital. Meanwhile the Life Flight crews remained in Lincoln until a manager arrived from Butte to talk to everyone.
The Federal Aviation administration is investigating the crash.
The accident closed Highway 200 through Lincoln for about seven hours. Muse said they got in touch with the Montana Department of Transportation shortly after the crash. MDT rerouted traffic at the intersection with Highway 141 to the west and at Bowman's Corner to the east. most of the big rigs that made it to Lincoln were turned around, while some smaller vehicles were detoured around the accident on B Street.
The highway re-opened to traffic at just after 8:30 a.m after the FAA gave Lincoln Volunteer Fire Rescue and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office the go ahead.
Reader Comments(0)