Columbia Helicopters sadly confirms the loss of seven employees in a crash of a Model 234 helicopter in Peru. The employees included five American citizens and two Peruvian citizens. The helicopter was working near Pucallpa, Peru, under contract to support petroleum exploration operations. No other persons were on board the tandem-rotor helicopter when it was lost on January 7.

“This is a very sad day for Columbia Helicopters,” said Michael Fahey, President of Columbia Helicopters. “We may operate globally, but we are still very much a family. The loss of our employees hurts deeply, and I knew most of these men personally. Our employees are grieving, and we are praying for the family members of the friends we lost.”

In conclusion, Mr. Fahey stated that, “as we grieve, we also immediately dispatched a management investigation team to Peru, and we will work closely with all authorities and witnesses to conduct a thorough investigation.”

The employees lost in the crash were:
Dann Immel, Command Pilot (hometown: Gig Harbor, WA)
Igor Castillo, Copilot (Peru)
Edwin Cordova, Maintenance Crew Chief (Melbourne, FL)
Luis Ramos, Aircraft Mechanic (Peru)
Jaime Pickett, Aircraft Mechanic (Clarksville, TN)
Darrel Birkes, Senior Load Manager (Peru)
Leon Bradford, Load Manager (Santaquin, UT)