Authorities in the U.S. state of New Mexico say key Zimbabwean opposition leader Roy Bennett has been killed in a helicopter crash.
State Police Lt. Elizabeth Armijo confirmed Bennett’s death Thursday, a day after a helicopter carrying him and five others went down in a mountainous rural area of northern New Mexico.
Obert Gutu, spokesman for the MDC-T opposition party, said the loss of Bennett, a white man who spoke fluent Shona and drew the wrath of former President Robert Mugabe, was tragic. Gutu says Bennett’s wife, Heather, also died.
The crash killed five and injured a sixth person aboard. The helicopter went down about 6 p.m. Wednesday near the Colorado state line.
Armijo said no additional information was immediately available about the circumstances of the crash.
A former Marine pilot was also among the five killed, leaving the solo survivor in critical condition.
J.C. Dodd (pictured) was among five killed when a helicopter crashed in northern New Mexico, leaving the solo survivor in critical condition
Dodd, a long-time helicopter pilot and aviation manager at Boyert Shooting Center, had been flying five passengers in a UH-1 Huey (pictured is a UH-1 Huey helicopter, although it’s not clear if this was the same one involved in the crash)
J.C. Dodd, a long-time helicopter pilot and aviation manager at Boyert Shooting Center, had been flying five passengers UH-1 Huey from Raton to a ranch in New Mexico, for his employer on Wednesday, according to Army buddy William Conlon.
The former Marine corporal was flying over the mountains, about 15 miles east of the small city of Raton, near the Colorado state line, at around 6pm when something went wrong.
‘He did manage to get a radio call off before going in,’ Conlon said, adding that three were killed instantly in the crash, while another two – including Dodd – died en-route to a hospital in Albuquerque.
The sole survivor is said to have suffered serious injuries in the crash.
Lt. Elizabeth Armijo of the New Mexico State Police says six people were aboard the helicopter Wednesday evening when it went down in a mountainous area, about 15 miles east of the small city of Raton, near the Colorado state line.
She said that authorities currently have no further information about the victims or circumstances of the crash.
Dodd, is a former marine, a long-time helicopter pilot and an aviation manager at Boyert Shooting Center
Conlan said that three were killed instantly in the crash, while another two – including Dodd – died en-route to a hospital in Albuquerque
The police agency posted Wednesday night on Twitter that ‘response and rescue attempts’ were ongoing but slow.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the helicopter was a Huey UH-1. Information on its registration was not available, Lunsford said.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, and agency spokesman Eric Weiss an NTSB investigator was expected to arrive at the crash site late Thursday.
Huey helicopters are flown for individuals, businesses and government agencies.
Dodd, of Trinidad, Colorado, was employed as an aviation manager and Huey pilot at Boyert Shooting Center, which has locations in Katy and Houston, Texas.
Dodd and his passengers were flying over the mountains, about 15 miles east of the small city of Raton, near the Colorado state line, when they crashed
The pilot, who described himself as being separated on Facebook, was a former corporal in the US Marines and had years of experience flying helicopters both in the military and as a civilian.
After leaving the forces, he flew for the California Highway Patrol and both the California and Texas Army National Guards. He also worked for several private companies before taking the job at Boyert Shooting Center.
Conlon, who served alongside Dodd in the 4th Aviation at Fort Carson, Colorado, said: ‘I’ll miss my best friend that I’ve known for 31 years. God Speed JC and R.I.P. Bro.’