By Mike Nelson & Faris Tanyos
 
August 7, 2008
 
WEAVERVILLE, Ca. -- The National Transportation Safety Board, the Federall Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service are working to determine how a chopper carrying 13 passengers, 2 pilots and 11 firefighters, crashed in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Tuesday, 35 miles northwest of Redding near Junction City, California.
 
In a press conference Thursday, NTSB officials say the investigation is hampered by the fact that rugged terrain and fire danger are keeping crews from recovering the helicopter wreckage and retrieving the bodies. They say a flight recorder on board could provide some clues if it is not too severely damaged.
 
One of the survivors says it seemed like the helicopter's rotor hit a tree as it lifted off to take firefighters back to base camp. Two of the survivors were on fire as they escaped the chopper:
 
"The third escaped under his own power and did go back to rescue and pull out the fourth survivor," says Kitty Higgins with NTSB.
 
The NTSB says there were 30 witnesses to the crash. Investigators do not know when they will be able to retrieve the bodies and wreckage because it is surrounded by fire and very rugged terrain, in a remote area.
 
Of the 13 people on board the chopper, 9 are presumed dead and four are injured.