Two of the three survivors of Monday’s helicopter crash that killed a veteran pilot, have been released from the hospital, and one remains in serious condition, deputies said.
Edwin Nettleton, 58, Paul Panzica, 41, and Larry Sayers, 64, were abroad the helicopter scouting in the Ironwood Forest National Monument area for possible locations for radio communication towers when the aircraft crashed at 11:30 a.m., said Deputy Jason Ogan, a Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.
Sayers, a county employee assigned to the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network project, had life-threatening injuries after the crash and was flown to University Medical Center where he remained in serious conditionTuesday morning, Ogan said.
Nettleton, a consultant with AECOM, an architecture and building company, had minor injuries and has been released from the hospital, Ogan said.
Panzica, also a county employee with PCWIN was released from the hospital, Ogan said.
Loren Leonberger, a civilian pilot for the Sheriff’s Department was killed after the crash. He was a Vietnam veteran and spent years flying for agencies such as the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Pima County.
The crash occurred on the side of the Waterman Mountains west of Picture Rocks.
Northwest Fire Department’s special operations team, Border Patrol, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base were some of the first responders at the crash.
Several agencies also assisted in the rescue including Avra Valley fire, Search and Rescue teams from Pinal and Pima counties.
