Story Published: Aug 31, 2010 at 9:00 PM PST
Story Updated: Sep 1, 2010 at 10:16 AM PST
"There was a helicopter crash this morning at about 9:30 a.m.," said Kamiah Marshall Chief Joe Newman. "It landed on Forest Service property over here on 5th and Pine Street. Three people have unfortunately died as a result of that crash."
Idaho Fish and Game said the helicopter was carrying two fisheries biologists and their pilot. All three died. The biologists, who were counting salmon redds on the Selway River were 47-year-old Larry Barrett and 34-year-old Dani Schiff, both of Lewiston. The pilot was Perry J. Krinitt, 43, of Belgrade, Mont.
The chopper crashed into a trailer next to a home. Newman said no one was there when the crash happened. However, just across the street are homes, even a senior living center. Residents said it was a devastating wake-up call.
"I was in the kitchen and I heard a big crash," said witness Alicia Oatman. "It shook the building and the lights flickered, so I thought someone had hit the building. I ran outside to see what happened and I see this trailer over here just smoking away so I thought it was an explosion on the trailer. You get a little closer and you realize it was a helicopter."
"We heard a loud crash and we thought someone had crashed into the building," said witness Owen Slickpoo. "There was a point that even the impact hitting the ground kind of made a little shake. One of the caregivers that was over here came over and knocked on doors and said it doesn't look good, so we rushed out."
Eyewitnesses said they saw the chopper struggling in the air before it hit the ground, sputtering and finally exploding, showering debris down on the community as much as five blocks away at Kamiah High School.
"It was up in the air pretty high still above our house and it had all of these explosions coming off of it," said witness Eric Holland. "You just see stuff flying from it. A battery came and landed in the neighbor's yard and hit pretty hard. Then it just couldn't go straight, it kept wanting to go sideways till it just nosedived at the end."
"We would ask people to contact the Lewis County Sheriff's Office at 937-2447 if they have found any debris," said Newman. "Let us know so we can come and collect that."
The helicopter belongs to Leading Edge Aviation out of Clarkston. Idaho Fish and Game had contracted with Leading Edge for the job.
The FAA is taking over the investigation.
