According to the operator, their flight tracking program showed that the helicopter depart the Rifle Garfield County Airport (RIL), Rifle, Colorado, and was en route to perform a low altitude aerial observation flight of transmission/power lines. The flight track ended near the accident location after a 3 to 4 minute flight about one mile southwest of RIL. Witnesses, located on a distant roadway, reportedly observed the helicopter spinning before it turned nose-down and then impacted terrain. Local law enforcement stated that a post-impact fire consumed a majority of the helicopter.
