Document text
59 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, June 26, 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 June 24, 2004 FAA safety inspector Billy McKibbon, left, and Jackson County sheriff�s deputy Eric Johnson survey the scene of a helicopter crash near Woodrat Mountain southeast of Ruch. The pilot survived the crash � his second in 10 years � with broken bones. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Pilot survives copter crash It’s the second time this Central Point man has nearly met with disaster in the air By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune RUCH — A Central Point helicopter pilot crashed and survived for the second time Wednesday. Michael Owen, 48, suffered broken bones but crawled away from the wreck of his Bell-47 helicopter after it went down Wednesday morning near Woodrat Mountain. The craft caught fire shortly after the crash, officials said. Investigators had not determined the cause Wednesday. Flying for his family’s company, Pacific Air Research, Owen was spraying herbicide under contract for Boise Cascade, said Capt. Joe Puckett of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Owen was doing the same work for Boise in February 1994 when his two-seater Bell helicopter crashed in timberland near Gold Hill. He injured his back in that accident. "Mike’s angel has worked overtime a little bit," said Owen’s mother, 68-year-old Connie Owen, from the company’s White City office. Owen was taken to Oregon Health Science University in Portland to undergo surgery on his fractured pelvis. He never lost consciousness, Connie Owen said. OHSU staff listed Owen in fair condition in the hospital’s intensive-care unit late Wednesday. Advertisement Michael Owen’s 25-year-old son, David, and another employee working on the ground dragged Owen further away from the wreck. They called for help on a cell phone at 9:54 a.m., Puckett said. About 20 minutes later, an Oregon State Police spotter plane located the crash site in an area that had burned during the Squires fire of 2002. A Mercy Flights helicopter took Owen to Rogue Valley Medical Center before he was transferred to Portland about three hours later, Puckett said. Firefighters with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Jackson County Fire District No. 9 extinguished the flaming wreckage. No one else was on board. "The guy’s pretty lucky," said Steve Metheny, chief pilot and vice president of Carson Helicopters in Grants Pass. Owen is known as a very experienced pilot who has flown helicopters for more than 20 years, Metheny said, adding that he has known several other pilots who have survived multiple crashes. Federal Aviation Administration officials examined the crash site Wednesday but said the charred and twisted pile of metal revealed little about the reasons behind the accident. Owen didn’t report any engine problems over his radio, Puckett added. The craft has been released to Pacific Air Research, which is charged with removing it, Connie Owen said. The National Transportation Safety Board will determine the crash’s cause. 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 RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times