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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, September 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 8, 2004 Tree snag likely caused Ruch-area helicopter crash By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A helicopter pilot injured in a June crash near Ruch likely failed to steer clear of a dead tree, officials said. Michael Owen of Central Point said his helicopter’s tail rotor likely snapped off on a tree in the area of Woodrat Mountain the morning of June 23. Flying for Pacific Air Research, Owen was spraying herbicide under contract for Boise Cascade. "Those snags are really hard to see sometimes," said Debra Eckroat, senior air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. Owen said he felt an odd vibration and tried to land but couldn’t control his descent. He passed out on impact but revived enough to crawl out of the wreckage before the craft burst into flames. The Bell-47 went down at about 9:50 a.m. in an area burned by the 2002 Squires fire. It was Owen’s second crash in a decade. "This one’s a big miracle," he said. Advertisement Owen’s 25-year-old son and another colleague — both working on the ground — pulled him away from the wreckage and called for help on a cell phone. Rescuers arrived about 20 minutes later. Fire crews extinguished the battered craft. The 48-year-old is recovering from surgery to repair a broken pelvis and has not returned to work. With five pins and one plate in his hip, he will concentrate on learning to walk again next month, he said. Owen was taken to Oregon Health and Science University and spent more than a week in the Portland hospital following the accident. Although he won’t be fit to fly for months, Owen said he is unsure that he will return to his family’s White City company as a pilot. He is known among fellow fliers as a veteran of the trade. "When you go through a few (crashes), you wonder when you should quit," Owen said. Owen injured his back in a 1994 accident while doing forestry maintenance for Boise near Gold Hill. The engine of his Bell two-seater failed in that crash, he said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities