Federal aviation authorities are investigating a Thursday helicopter crash in the Glass Mountains southeast of Mono Lake.
The crash was detected at about 6:25 p.m. when Inyo National Forest Dispatch reported a black plume of smoke in the mountains. The smoke was from an aircraft that was reported overdue on a trip to Truckee through Bishop.
Mono County Sheriff's deputies and searchers along with Inyo National Forest personnel responded to the area to look for the crash and survivors.
More than four hours after the initial report, at about 10:50 p.m., the helicopter's pilot arrived at the Benton Fire Department after hiking out of Taylor Canyon from the crash site.
He told the firefighters that his passenger suffered from extensive injuries and was still at the site. Mono County Paramedics and Care Flight were dispatched to the Taylor Canyon area. The female passenger and the aircraft wreckage were located in the McLaughlin Springs area. Both the pilot and his passenger were flown by Care Flight to Renown Medical Center in Reno for treatment.
