A helicopter pilot was killed Tuesday morning in a crash at a remote oil-and-gas construction site southeast of Dove Creek.
A.J. Blain of Montana was piloting a Huey-style helicopter as part of a crew conducting seismic testing for Kinder Morgan, according to officials at the scene. The Bell UH-1H Iroquois was registered to Billings (Mt.) Flying Service. Blain was in his early 30s.
The crash occurred on rolling BLM land interspersed with pine trees off of County Road 15, north of County Road M, in Dolores County.
The pilot was the only person onboard the helicopter. No one else was injured in the crash, but flying debris hit a ground crew member in the backpack, according to a news release by the Dolores County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses said they heard a loud “pop” and then saw the helicopter “plunge a short distance to the ground.”
Area fire crews, including the BLM, responded to the scene but there was no fire around the crumpled white aircraft.
Dolores County coroner Joyce Barnett described the crash site as “devastating.”
“We lost a good friend and co-worker,” said a construction crew member at the scene who did not give his name.
Dolores County Sheriff Jerry Martin said the crash is under investigation by his office, the BLM, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
“It is too early in the investigation as to the cause,” Sheriff Martin said. “All aspects of the accident will be looked into, and the NTSB will look into the soundness of the aircraft.”
Aviation investigators arrived at the site earlier this week.
A worker at the scene explained that the construction helicopter coordinates with a ground crew to move large seismic sensors to different locations to check for oil and gas reserves underground.
“They fly at low elevations — it may have lost lift,” he said.
As part of expanded operations, Kinder Morgan has increased seismic testing operations in the area, often in remote locations.
“My observations of them in the last couple of years is that they are really excellent pilots,” Sheriff Martin said.
Joe Hollier, corporate communications manager for Kinder Morgan, said seismic operations in the area are on stand-down pending an investigation into the cause of the accident and a review of operation procedures.
“The helicopter service was a subcontractor of a subcontractor for the Kinder Morgan seismic operation,” Hollier said.
