PAHRUMP, Nev. - The driver of the car thought to have caused the crash of a medical helicopter never entered into the aircraft's landing zone, the Nye County Sheriff's Department said.
Original reports said the female driver of a red compact car had entered the helicopter's 100-foot-by-100-foot landing zone as it landed near an automobile accident in Pahrump on Monday night.
Nye County Assistant Sheriff Rick Marshall said after investigating the crash and interviewing the driver, authorities believe the woman heeded a roadblock set up by firefighters and was pulling to the side of the road.
''When the pilot came down, he saw the headlights, and for some reason, he thought she had entered the landing zone,'' Marshall said Thursday.
The pilot then powered up to abort the landing and noticed a set of power lines in his way. As he tried to evade them, the chopper's skid touched the ground and caused the aircraft to roll onto its side. None of the helicopter's three crew members was injured.
Flight for Life spokesman Ray Brown said other witnesses on the ground said the car had entered the landing zone. Regardless, he said, pilot Tim Rego thought the car was a possible safety hazard and did the right thing by aborting the landing.
