Our condolences to the Hernandez, Arovitx, and Krigbaum families as well as the United States Forestry Service and Columbia
Helicopters, Inc. Pilot Richard Hernandez, 37, from Florida living in Lake Tahoe area; Co-Pilot Santi Arovitx, 28, from Oregon;
and Crew Chief Kip Krigbaum, 45, from Idaho; were operating their Vertol 107 twin rotor helicopter over a ravine north of
Yellowstone National Park, Friday, August 31, 2001, when it crashed, killing all three aboard.
The helicopter was owned by Columbia Helicopters, Inc., of Aurora, Oregon. The chopper was one of 15 assigned to Montana's
largest wildland fire - a 25,000 acre blaze near Glacier National Park. The crash follows Monday's collision of two air tankers
over Northern California that killed both pilots.
A memorial fund has been established and donations can be made to:
