Local News : Friday, May 11, 2001
Two killed in helicopter crash in Kitsap County
By Dave Birkland
Seattle Times staff reporter
Two people were killed this morning when their helicopter crashed near a
golf course in Port Orchard in Kitsap County.
The crash about 9:30 a.m. was four miles west of Port Orchard, a quarter
mile from the Trophy Lake Golf Course, said Mike Fergus, a Federal
Aviation Administration spokesman.
The identities and hometowns of the victims were not immediately available.
Chris Conway, the teaching pro at the golf course, said he was helping
golfers unload their clubs this morning "when we heard something funny."
They looked up and saw a helicopter about 200 feet off the ground in
obvious trouble.
It was losing airspeed, doing tail spins at odd angles, Conway said. "It did a
little stall, spun around and headed toward the ground. It then crashed in the
woods some 350 yards from the clubhouse."
Within a few seconds, Conway saw smoke rising from the fire that resulted
from the crash.
Conway called 911 while others rushed to the area, but when they got close
the helicopter was engulfed in flames and there was no chance to save
anyone, Conway said.
"When you see something like that it can be very disturbing," Conway said.
The helicopter belongs to the Classic Helicopter Corp. at Boeing Field,
Fergus said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Copyright © 2001 The Seattle Times Company