Video posted on the department's Facebook page shows the observation chopper, a 2001 Bell TH-67, parked on a flatbed trailer, rotary blades spinning. One minute into the footage, just as the copter begins to rise into the air, disaster strikes: harsh winds send the aircraft crashing.
Denio was testing out the helicopter's battery when a straight-line wind triggered the August 16 crash. Lt. Michael Ford, spokesperson for the Little Rock department, says the chopper is beyond repair.