Woman in Mono helicopter crash undergoing skin grafts

An Arizona woman remains hospitalized undergoing skin grafts nearly three months after a Mono County helicopter crash that resulted serious burns.

Nadine and Robert Durham were on their way to the Reno Air Races on Sept. 16.

Robert Durham was piloting the Robinson R44 II that the couple flew from their home in Benson, Ariz.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Durhams last stopped at Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in Bishop to refuel and have lunch.

About a half hour after taking off, Durham set the helicopter down in a meadow on the side of Glass Mountain. He left the engine running and after returing to the pilot's controls took off.

He told federal crash investigators he raised the helicopter 2-3 feet in a hover and rotated to turn back and leave toward the descending terrain. When he accelerated he observed a caution light on the panel and said the helicopter lost all power.

Durham said he tried to raise the helicopter's nose to land when the skids hit the ground and the helicopter rolled over.

"The pilot recalled a loud bang and a rush of fuel passing through the cabin and forward of the helicopter," the report said.

According to a blog written by their daughter Trina, the windshield of the helicopter popped out and Durham and his wife were able to get out of the burning machine at about 1:30 p.m.

Someone spotted the smoke from the helicopter and called it in, but firefighters were unable to locate the burn area after several hours.

Members of the Mono County Search and Rescue team were alerted at 6:45 p.m. that the Durhams were overdue at their next destination.

Durham placed his wife, who was severely burned, in the shade. He walked more than 10 miles over seven hours to Taylor Creek where he found a camper at about 10 p.m., who drove him to the Benton Fire Station. Search and rescue, Benton Fire, Lee Vining fire and medical units returned to the scene of the crash.

Both were treated and transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.

They were transferred to the burn unit at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where Robert Durham recovered and was released.

Nadine Durham was taken to the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix where she has been since early November.

The Durhams daughter's blog can be found at http://miraclessavelives.blogspot.com/