Utah CEO identified as man killed in Ririe Reservoir helicopter crash
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IDAHO FALLS — The coroner has identified the man who died after a helicopter crashed into the ice on Ririe Reservoir Thursday evening.
Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez identified the man as 59-year-old Bradford Brown from Alpine, Utah. The investigation is ongoing, but Sanchez says Brown is believed to have been the pilot.
According to Kelvyn Cullimore, the CEO and president of BioUtah, Brown was the CEO and founder of ATL Technology in Springville, Utah, which specialized in manufacturing medical devices. Brown was also a board member for BioUtah.
“Brad Brown, a true captain of industry and a pillar of the medical device community not only in Utah but worldwide, exemplified the spirit of entrepreneurism building ATL Technology into a worldwide operation manufacturing devices for 9 of the top 10 device manufacturers in the world,” says Cullimore in a statement to EastIdahoNews.com. “He was a family man, a true Christian, and passionate about being a pilot, a skill he developed over decades. His loss is devastating to our Utah life sciences community where he served for years in executive leadership of BioUtah, the state trade association for life sciences. Our condolences to his wife, Shannon, his family, and the entire ATL team.”
Brown’s online biography mentions he was an accomplished private pilot, having flown both helicopters and airplanes with over 4,200 hours.
RELATED | 1 dead, 1 injured after helicopter crashes into Ririe Reservoir
According to local flight radar data, the helicopter was a Bell 505 Jet Ranger X and took off from Rexburg–Madison County Airport around 4:16 p.m. Thursday. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reported the crash happened around 4:40 p.m. about a mile east of the Ririe Dam.
One passenger was transported to East Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. Their identity and condition are unknown.
After the crash was reported to dispatch, emergency crews rushed to the scene and deployed on snow machines from the Juniper Campground area near Meadow Creek Road.
A downed power line was discovered in the area where the crash occurred.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Idaho Falls Fire, Jefferson Central Fire, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Fish and Game, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Bonneville County Fire Ammon Division, Bonneville County Coroner’s Office, Dive Rescue and Drone Teams.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.
Recovery crews are expected to remain at the area through Friday as they attempt to get the helicopter off the ice.
Bonneville County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bryan Lovell says the area is still closed and asks the public to avoid it, as the ice is thin and the downed power line could potentially cause dangerous conditions.
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Helicopter crashes into frozen lake in Idaho; pilot killed, 1 hospitalized
Federal authorities are investigating after a helicopter crashed into a frozen lake Thursday in Idaho killing a pilot and injuring one passenger.
The crash involved a Bell 505 and took place at the Ririe Reservoir in the city of Booneville County, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson told USA TODAY Friday morning.
The city is in the state’s southeast about northeast of Idaho Falls.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reported multiple agencies responded to the crash about 4:40 p.m. using snowmobiles and found two people inside the helicopter.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, first responders found one occupant dead at the scene.
A second occupant was taken by ambulance to a hospital for to be treated for non-life threatening injuries, the agency reported.
Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez identified the fatality victim to USA TODAY as 59-year-old Bradford Brown from Alpine, Utah.
Sanchez could not say whether Brown was the pilot citing the pending investigation but said Brown he owned the aircraft.
According to his LinkedIn Page, Brown was the CEO at ATL Technology. The manufacturing company is in Springfield, Utah, according to its website, and describes itself as a proud partner to the world’s leading medical device companies.
Flight safety is under scrutiny:3 questions sparking debate
The official cause of the crash was not immediately known Friday, but according to a preliminary FAA report obtained by USA TODAY, the aircraft struck a powerline before it crashed on the ice.
The sheriff’s office said it was not immediately known why the helicopter was in the area.
Following the crash, the department said, deputies shut down Ririe Reservoir and the area around the crash site for safety due to downed power lines and unstable ice conditions.
The identity of the passenger on board was also immediately known Friday.
The official cause of the crash remained under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board on Friday, the FAA spokesman said.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Man killed in crash identified as CEO of manufacturing company
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Helicopter crash onto the ice of an Idaho reservoir kills one occupant, injures the other
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One person is dead and another was rushed to the hospital after a helicopter crashed on the ice at an East Idaho reservoir, authorities said.
The crash happened about 4:40 p.m. Thursday on the Ririe Reservoir about a mile east of the Ririe Dam, according to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. The reservoir is about 10 miles east of Idaho Falls.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene and deployed on snow machines from the Juniper Campground area. Two occupants were found inside the helicopter. One was dead and the other was taken to an ambulance before being taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, the sheriff’s office says.
A downed power line was discovered in the area of the crash.
“Deputies have closed Ririe Reservoir and the area around the crash site for safety due to downed power lines and unstable ice conditions,” the Sheriff’s Office said a news release. “The circumstances of why the helicopter was in that area are still being confirmed and the investigation is continuing.”
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Idaho Falls Fire, Jefferson Central Fire, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Fish and Game, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Bonneville County Fire Ammon Division, Bonneville County Coroner’s Office, Dive Rescue and Drone Teams.
The names of those involved have not been released. The Fderal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, the release said.
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