We regret to inform you of the death of Sergeant Andrew “Andy” Tingwallof the New Mexico State Police, following a helicopter crash that occurred Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at approximately 9:00 p.m.

Sergeant Tingwall was flying a search and rescue mission in a New Mexico State Police helicopter near the peak of “Santa Fe Baldy” in the vicinity of Lake Catherine, northeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The elevation there is approximately 12,200 feet. Sergeant Tingwall and his spotter located a woman who had been reported missing while hiking the high mountain terrain. They landed and picked the woman up and began to take off when the helicopter experienced a tail rotor strike. Sgt Tingwall was gaining altitude when it struck a mountainside, resulting in the helicopter crashing and rolling approximately 800 feet down into a steep ravine/canyon and ejecting all three occupants, including Sergeant Tingwall, the spotter, New Mexico State Police Officer Wes Cox, and the lost hiker.

On Wednesday, June 10, 2009, Officer Cox was able to walk and find his way to a group of rescuers looking for the crash site. He was hospitalized in Santa Fe. Rescuers were unable to reach the crash site because of rough terrain and bad weather (high winds, fog, and approximately 10 inches of snow that began to fall shortly after the crash) until Wednesday night at approximately 7:00 p.m. They were unable to search further due to darkness and the dangerous terrain and began the search of the debris field on Thursday morning, when they discovered the bodies of Sergeant Tingwall and the lost hiker. It was determined that Sergeant Tingwall survived the initial crash and had removed the injured hiker from the wreckage before passing away.

Sergeant Tingwall is survived by his wife, Leighann, a communications supervisor for the New Mexico State Police office in Santa Fe, and two little girls.

Please keep the Tingwall family as well as the men and women of the New Mexico State Police in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.