Chopper Crash Kills Mechanic
December 18, 2008
Santa Clarita - A 31-year old mechanic was killed Wednesday when a chopper went out of control and crashed. The victim was identified as Curtis Dale Cauthen.
Cauthen, of Arizona, was killed when a helicopter carrying a power line has spiraled and crashed on the spot where he was standing, said the County Fire Department.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the pilot lost control of the chopper because of high winds at Saugus.
Paramedics arrived and found Cauthen’s body at 9:40 a.m. They then took the helicopter pilot to a nearby medical facility for treatments of his minor injuries.
The mechanic and the pilot were working for Swanson Aviation which was hired to string a major electrical transmission line, said a representative from Southern California Edison.
The crash is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.