Were Searching For Man Who Ran After Traffic Stop

A Chelsea, MI police chief searching for a man who ran following a traffic stop, as well as a fire department official who volunteered the use of his private helicopter to help with that search, both died Thursday when their Robinson R22 went down after a suspected engine failure.

Police Chief Scott Sumner, 42, and fire Captain Matt Tuttle, 28, were aboard Tuttle's private helicopter (file photo of type, above) when it went down shortly after 3 pm about five miles west of Ann Arbor, authorities told the Associated Press.

"It's a loss that's going to be felt for a long time," said Chelsea Mayor Ann Feeney. "Since they've been here their whole lives, they're like our kids."

It was not the first time Tuttle, who was also a reserve police officer for the Chelsea department, had volunteered to use his helicopter in similar situations, sheriff's spokesman David Egeler told the AP.

A police officer searching for the man -- who ran into the woods after being stopped by police -- saw the helicopter go down, and tried to perform CPR at the scene -- but it was too late.

The FAA and NTSB will investigate the accident. The FAA's Preliminary Report cites engine failure in the accident, although it is not yet known why the helicopter's engine quit.

**   Report created 4/14/2006   Record 10
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I DENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 887BC        Make/Model: R22       Description: R-22
  Date: 04/13/2006     Time: 1930

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: ANN ARBOR   State: MI   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N887BC, A ROBINSON R22 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED WHEN ITS ENGINE FAILED, THE TWO
  PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, ANN ARBOR, MI

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR KARB 131953Z 26014KT 10SM FEW080 23/07 A3000

OTHER DATA

  Departed: ANN ARBOR, MI               Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: ANN ARBOR, MI            Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: DETROIT, MI  (GL23)                   Entry date: 04/14/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov