Falls 4,000 feet to his death on White's Butte

The Associated Press is reporting that a man riding a Papillon Airways helicopter on a Grand Canyon tour took off his seat belt, opened the door next to him and jumped to his death. The man's body was subsequently found in steep terrain at White's Butte, located some 90 miles northwest of Flagstaff (AZ).  

The pilot was on his way back to the South Rim on Thursday when the man, who at press time had not been identified, plunged some 4,000 feet to his death, according to Grand Canyon Park spokesperson Donna Nemeth.

"The man allegedly opened the door of the aircraft and exited, but until the investigation is completed, we can't say exactly," she said. Four other passengers, as well as the pilot, were visibly shaken after the flight landed, but unharmed. Ms. Nemeth did not know if the man who jumped from the aircraft was related to any of the other passengers.

"We are deeply saddened for this individual's family and friends as well as for the pilot and for other passengers on board," said Brenda Halvorson, Papillon Airways president and CEO. Papillon Airways is the parent company of Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters.

FMI: www.papillon.com, www.ap.org