(Audubon) The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office released more information today on the March 31 helicopter crash.
The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office notified Audubon County of the crash at 4:27 p.m. in the area of 240th Street and Robin Avenue.
Two men perished in the fiery crash. The pilot is identified as 30-year old Ryan Doolittle of Minneapolis, Minnesota, originally from California, and the passenger is identified as 23-year old Benjamin Peterson of Marshall, Minnesota, originally from Des Moines. Western EcoSystem Tech employed Peterson. The two men were performing an aerial wildlife survey of raptor nests in the area when the accident occurred.
The helicopter, identified as a 2004 R44 Raven II, four-passenger helicopter, is registered to MN Helicopters, Inc. of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and leased by Ride the Sky Helicopters, Inc. also of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The investigation is ongoing with the FAA and NTSB.
The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the FAA, Iowa State Patrol Technical Investigation, Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, Guthrie County EMA, Audubon County EMA, Audubon Fire & Rescue, Exira Fire Department, and Audubon County Secondary Roads.
