Crash search halted
Published Oct. 10, 2003
The search for a crashed helicopter in western Boone County was officially called off around 5 p.m. Wednesday, said Rob Brown, Boone County Fire Protection District spokesman.
The search began Saturday night when 911 dispatchers received a call from a man saying he had been a passenger in a helicopter that crashed, killing the pilot. He said there were five other people in the helicopter including the pilot.
The man, who said his name was Larry Bishop, said the helicopter had been flying from North Carolina to Kansas City.
On the 911 tape, which was released earlier this week, Bishop can be heard saying, "We're in a helicopter. We're down. We went down."
Shortly after the dispatcher told Bishop they had pinpointed the origin of his cell phone call, the line disconnected, and the dispatcher was unable to reconnect.
Rescue workers searched the 16-mile area surrounding the origin of the phone call but found no trace of any wreckage, Brown said. There are also no records of missing aircraft or radar evidence to show an aircraft going down, he said.
"We've left no stone unturned," Brown said. "We've searched, checked the radar screens and contacted people with the name given, but we've found nothing."
There are 15 people in North Carolina with the name Larry Bishop, he said.
"Everybody's been contacted, and none were involved," Brown said.
The fire department has turned the investigation over to the Boone County Sheriff's Department.
"It could be a hoax," Brown said. "But our agency wouldn't make that determination."