King County Sheriff’s helicopter damaged during rescue

YAKIMA – A King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was damaged and its occupants slightly injured when the chopper hit a rock outcropping during a rescue attempt.

The Guardian 2 helicopter was helping the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday with the search for a hiker who had fallen on Mount Adams.

Officials believe that during the rescue, the helicopter’s tail rotor was unable to move enough air to counteract the centrifugal force of the main rotor. This caused the aircraft to rotate about one-and-a-half times. The two occupants received minor strains and one of the two skids on the bottom of the helicopter was damaged.

The aircraft was able to fly to a nearby airport. Officials notified the FAA and the NTSB, who are conducting an investigation.