Helicopter crash kills Whitefish banker
The Associated Press and The Daily Inter Lake | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 7 months AGO
CARLSBAD, Calif. — Two men, including the founder of a Whitefish bank, were killed Wednesday in a helicopter crash at a Southern California airport.
Pilot Bruce Allen Erickson, 65, was the chairman and chief executive officer of American Banks of Montana, which has a branch in Whitefish as well as Bozeman, Big Timber, Big Sky and Livingston.
Also killed was Erickson’s friend, 60-year-old Wayne Frank Lewis of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California.
The crash occurred as Erickson was practicing landings. The bank’s website said Erickson had more than 25,000 hours of flight time and ratings to fly various types of airplanes and helicopters.
The San Diego County medical examiner’s office said the helicopter’s tail struck the ground during a landing Wednesday and it spun out of control at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.
Both men died at the scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of the Airbus AS350 helicopter.
The American Bank branch in Whitefish founded by Erickson opened in September 1995.
“Bruce had a heart of gold with boundless energy, and his devotion toward community banking was unsurmountable,” according to a statement from American Bank on Thursday.
“As a fantastic leader, he placed utmost importance on his employees and was very generous to all. Bruce’s zest for life elevated all those who he came in contact with. He was passionate about giving with a special concern for children and the local communities the bank serves. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Erickson family and all those affected by this tragedy.”
Erickson owned a house on Whitefish Lake.
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