Delhi couple among five dead in Vegas chopper crash

Henderson, Nev.: A federal crash investigator said Friday that a Las Vegas tour helicopter that crashed, killing all five people aboard, made a sudden climb and sharp turns moments before plunging into a canyon near Lake Mead.
National Transportation Safety Board member Mark Rosekind said he could not draw conclusions about the cause of the Wednesday crash from the erratic flight pattern and said the investigation would continue.
"Up to the last minute, it was all standard tour operating procedure," Rosekind said.
Rosekind said the fatal flight was the fourth for the aircraft after it underwent routine maintenance Tuesday to replace the engine and mechanical actuators in the tail and main rotor.
An initial engine examination at the scene found the engine was producing power at the time of impact, and Rosekind said all the mechanical control devices, called servo-actuators, were removed from the wreckage Friday to be examined.
Authorities removed bodies from the crash site Thursday but didn't immediately release the names of the five people who died in the fiery crash of the AS350BS helicopter operated by Sundance Helicopters of Las Vegas.
Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy said he cannot release the names of any victims because bodies have not been fully identified, a process that will likely involve the use of DNA, fingerprint and dental records.
Family members have identified three of the dead as the pilot, Landon Nield, 31, of Las Vegas, and Delwin and Tamara Chapman, both 49, a couple from Utica, Kan., who were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.
Murphy said Friday the other two victims were a couple from New Delhi, India.
Though official identification was pending, friends and family members in several states mourned the dead.
Delwin Chapman ran a construction company and served on the City Council. Tamara Chapman recently closed her hairstyling shop in the city of about 160 people, said Ron Solze, whose son is married to one of the Chapmans' four daughters.
"Both Delwin and Tammy just did so much with the community," said Marilyn Johnson, who traced her friendship with Tammy Chapman to Utica High School in the late 1970s. "They were always helping."
Johnson said Friday that Tammy Chapman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a couple of years ago and worked as a hairdresser until recently.
See Also: 5 Killed In Tour Helicopter Crash Near Lake Mead
10/12/11 Fox News/Associated Press

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Categories: Foreign Dec 2011, Safety Dec 2011