More detail on this person: Hopper, James
Daniel 64, passed away August 7, 2012 in
Fairbanks, AK. James was born May 2, 1948 in
Mount Kisco, NY. James had a distinguished
military career in the US Army, having served in
Vietnam from 1970-1971. He was a helicopter pilot
and he obtained a Purple Heart, Air Medal,
National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service
Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. James
enjoyed many hobbies and interests including
flying, fishing, snorkeling, bird collecting and
gardening. Surviving family members include his
wife Melinda Hopper of Grandview, MO, sisters
Delores Andrade of Costa Mesa, CA, Alice
DiMaggio of Tempe, AZ and Cathy Parker of
Loveland, CO, brothers Andy Olson of Tempe, AZ,
Scott Olson of Scottsdale, AZ and Robert Hopper of
San Francisco, CA. A memorial service will be held
Tuesday, August 14th at 10:00 AM at The Church
of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints, 6001 S.
Lakeshore Dr. in Tempe. The family has issued the
following statement in regards to Jim: Jim was our
brother and we were very proud of his
accomplishments. The one thing that brings us
peace is knowing he died doing what he
loved-flying. As long as we can remember, he
wanted to fly and along came Vietnam and the
Army granted his wish. One of the things we loved
most about Jim was how he responded to his
Vietnam experience. Despite all of the violence
and mayhem around him, he never lost his
humanity-giving Hershey bars to VC prisoners
hoping they'd remember being treated decently by
an American.
Missouri man killed in helicopter crash near Pogo
mine by Sam Friedman /
sfriedman@newsminer.com Fairbanks Daily News
Miner Aug 07, 2012
FAIRBANKS - A helicopter that crashed Tuesday
outside of Delta Junction was used for exploration
work for the nearby Pogo gold mine, according to a
news release from the mine.
Alaska State Troopers identified the pilot as
James Hopper, 63, a seasonal employee from
Missouri, said trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen.
HopperâÇÖs next of kin have been notified.
Hopper was on the way to pick up some miners
when for unknown reasons the helicopter crashed
into a hillside, she said. He was the only one on
board at the time of the crash and was declared
dead on scene. The National Traffic Safety Board
is investigating the cause of the crash.
The helicopter was a McDonnell Douglas 600N, a
light single-turbine helicopter with eight seats.
It was registered to Aurora Aviation Services in
Delta Junction in May and was previously
registered in Illinois. The Federal Aviation
Administration lists 4:45 p.m. as the time of the
crash.
"In this sad time our prayers and sincere
condolences go to the family and colleagues of the
pilot," said Pogo Mine General Manager Chris
Kennedy in a written statement. "Right now our
primary concern is to help the family and
co-workers deal with their loss. We will provide
support to the contractor and outside
investigators to determine how and why the
accident occurred."
Contact staff writer Sam Friedman at 459-7545.
Follow him on Twitter, @FDNMcrime
Makeshift landing pad may be linked to fatal
chopper crash Witness told NTSB investigators that
a log was displaced.
By CASEY GROVE
Anchorage Daily News
Published: August 22nd, 2012 08:11 PM
Last Modified: August 22nd, 2012 08:12 PM
A helicopter involved in a fatal crash this month
at the Pogo Mine, near Delta Junction in Interior
Alaska, touched down on a makeshift log landing
pad that appeared to have broken apart,
investigators say.
Alaska State Troopers identified the pilot of the
McDonnell Douglas 600N as Missouri resident
James Hopper, 63, who flew the helicopter for
Aurora Aviation Services to support operations at
the gold mine.
According to a National Transportation Safety
Board preliminary report released Monday, a
witness told investigators he radioed Hopper for a
pickup at a remote landing pad about 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 7. The pad, made of interlaced logs attached
with spikes, sat on a hillside surrounded by
trees, the report says.
The witness said he kneeled next to the improvised
helipad as the aircraft touched down. Hopper, the
lone occupant of the helicopter, turned his head,
apparently about to give the unnamed man a signal
to board, the man said. But the helicopter pitched
up and back. It hit trees and rolled down a hill
about 100 feet, landing on its left side, engine
still running, the witness told investigators.
Another witness reported he heard the crash from
farther away and came running. As he passed the
landing pad, he noticed a log at its back edge had
moved, the NTSB report says.
"He noted that the long spike that attaches the
log to the foundation was pulled out, and the log
was displaced aft," the report says.
Down the hill, Hopper was mortally injured and the
helicopter's fuselage, tail and rotor were
destroyed. Medical staff at Pogo Mine pronounced
Hopper dead, troopers said.
The NTSB's preliminary report is the local
investigators' first publicly released report on
the crash. A factual report and a report on the
crash's probable cause from the full safety board
will likely follow.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported
representatives of three companies involved in the
helicopter's construction -- McDonnell-Douglas,
Rolls-Royce and Boeing -- studied the wreckage.
Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or
257-4589.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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