Kingsbury Grade resident killed shortly after takeoff

A Kingsbury Grade resident died when his helicopter crashed shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday in a cow pasture on the Jubilee Ranch, just east of Foothill Road and south of Muller Lane.

The victim was identified as Patrick Samal, 41, who used his Robinson R-44 helicopter to commute between Carson Valley and the Bay area, according to Doyle Holden, a Douglas County resident and a fellow pilot.

He said Samal had a business in the Bay area.

Samal took off from the Minden/Tahoe Airport shortly before the accident, according to Sheriff's Lt. Mike Biaggini. He said it was thought that Samal was on his way home.

Holden, who also owns one of the helicopters, said Samal owned the helicopter for about 18 months. He purchased it after a hard landing and subsequent rollover crash of his first helicopter, a Robinson R-22.

"The helicopter was destroyed, but he and a passenger got out fine," Holden said of the earlier crash.

Built in Torrance, Calif., the helicopters are flown by police departments and for other lighter, private uses, Holden said.

"These helicopters are very reliable. They don't have a record of mechanical failure," he said. "They fly to the Bay area in about 11Ú2 hours."

Ranch hand Warren Fillmore witnessed the accident.

"I heard a loud clanking sound, like something ripped off," Fillmore said. "The helicopter came straight down and exploded when it hit the ground.

"It happened so quick, there was nothing to do," he said. "It was about three to four seconds between the sound and the explosion."

Nothing was left of the aircraft and just one body was discovered, according to Sheriff Ron Pierini.

One of the few recognizable pieces was a portion of the tail, which lay about 30 feet from the wreckage.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office, East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts and Minden/Tahoe Airport responded to the crash. Local officials will secure the site until investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrive.

"Our investigators are taking photos of the scene, but the determination concerning the crash will be made by the FAA," Pierini said.

Pierini said airplane crashes occur regularly in Carson Valley. An experimental jet crashed off Foothill Road a couple of years ago and more recently, an experimental plane crashed near Mottsville.

"And it's not at all uncommon to have a glider go down," he said.

-- Contact reporter Susie Vasquez at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.