We’ve been asked multiple times if there’s anything new in the recent mystery of the helicopter in Ridgway.
The simple answer is no.
Sure, we’ve heard plenty of conspiracy theories. Like we needed any more of those involving black helicopters. But we have nothing confirmed.
Still, we thought we’d break down what we looked into, just in case you’re curious.
We know a helicopter was spotted roughly around 8:30 p.m. the night of Jan. 3 in Ridgway, on the west side of town, hovering and circling over houses. Eyewitnesses reported the helicopter circled several times, shined a spotlight down into neighborhoods, and eventually left the area, flying north.These witnesses also reported the helicopter was flying unusually low, between 100 and 300 feet. We know people in Solar Ranch, downtown, and in River Park spotted the helicopter.
At the same time, some residents in the area reported hearing sounds of explosions, similar to fireworks or gunfire.
It’s not clear how, or if, these are related.
We do know that the Federal Aviation Administration investigates citizen complaints of low-flying aircraft.
It’s not clear whether they received any complaints to investigate. They wouldn’t tell us when we asked.
Federal rules establish minimum altitudes and prohibit pilots from flying low over congested areas, specifically towns in this case. The minimum altitude is usually 1,000 feet over the highest obstacle but helicopters are allowed to operate under this minimum.
We still don’t know who the helicopter belonged to or what it was doing in the area.
At least one witness thought it was a Black Hawk helicopter. Another witness said he didn’t think so. We have no photos or videos to help us.
We decided to check into neighboring airports and see if they had any information on helicopters arriving, departing or refueling on the night of the incident.
We know Telluride Regional Airport had a Black Hawk helicopter land around 5:30 p.m. The occupants reportedly went into Telluride for dinner, refueled the helicopter and then departed around 8 p.m.
How do we know it was a Black Hawk? We filed an open records request for the fuel receipt, which includes a code specifying the make and model of aircraft. It also tells us the helicopter refueled with 250 gallons, costing $1,897.50 billed to a “military” account.
We inquired about aircraft related to Air Force bases in the state, reasoning if it was a military account it might lead us to answers, but no dice.
So far, we’ve received answers from the Air Force Academy, Fort Carson U.S. Army Base, Peterson Space Force Base, and the Colorado National Guard. They’ve all told us it wasn’t their helicopter.
We have a registration number of the Black Hawk that refueled at the Telluride airport from the fuel receipt. But none of the eyewitnesses were able to make out a tail number on the helicopter flying low over Ridgway, so we’re unable to connect the dots.
The Plaindealer was the first to report the incident to the Ridgway Marshal’s office, inquiring about the incident on the morning of Jan. 4. The marshal started looking into the case shortly after, when residents started asking him about the incident, which had happened the night before. But it seems like local efforts to dig up answers have also hit a wall.
At this point, we think the best chance at getting an answer is through the FAA’s investigation process. An FAA inspector can check aircraft flight records with air traffic control information and corroborate the information with the eyewitness accounts. The agency has access to information that might help solve the mystery.
If you witnessed the incident on Jan. 3 and would like to report the low-flying aircraft incident, you can do so through the FAA’s Salt Lake City Flight Standards District Office, which covers Western Colorado, by calling 801-257-5020. You can also email the office through its website.
We are filing more requests for information and promise to let you know when we know more. It could be a while, since federal requests for information typically take longer.
Erin McIntyre is the co-publisher of the Plaindealer. Email her at erin@ouraynews.com.
