A Kalispell man accused of ransacking a helicopter in June allegedly said he thought it was headed to the scrapyard.  

Darin Darold Zick, 53, faces felony counts of criminal mischief and attempted theft in Flathead County District Court following his June 20 arrest at the Kalispell City Airport. Zick, who remains behind bars with bail set at $75,000, pleaded not guilty before Judge Danni Coffman at his June 30 arraignment.  

Coffman set a pretrial hearing in the case for Aug. 8.  

Kalispell Police officers arrested Zick after the helicopter's captain arrived at the airport to find the rotorcraft in disarray, according to court documents. The rear hatch was jettisoned and gear was scattered on the ground. 

A man, later identified as Zick, sat down nearby as employees of the firm that owned the helicopter approached, court documents said. Confronted, Zick allegedly told the crew that he thought the rotorcraft was being scrapped. When asked about the items from inside the helicopter left strewn about, Zick claimed them as his and restated his belief that the chopper was destined for the scrapyard, court documents said. 

Surveillance footage turned over to investigators captured Zick approach and then climb on top of the helicopter, court documents said. It later shows him allegedly getting inside the rotorcraft where he stayed for about two hours. 

The crew estimated the value of the items pulled out of the chopper at more than $30,000. The captain told investigators that they found damage to the interior of the helicopter as well, including the loss of equipment necessary to fly it. Damage to the rotorcraft was estimated at more than $1,500, court documents said.  

The loss to the company that owns the helicopter was likely much more, though. The captain said that the firm is contracting with the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to fight wildfires and is on a $30,000 a day retainer. Knocking the helicopter out of commission for days posed a potential "significant loss of revenue," court documents said. 

Both felony charges are punishable by a 10-year stint in Montana State Prison. Criminal mischief comes with a maximum $50,000 fine while attempted theft carries a fine of up to $10,000.  

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].