SANTA FE — The National Transportation Safety Board says a helicopter pilot's decision to take off in bad weather is the probable cause of a fatal crash in an attempted rescue of a hiker lost in the mountains near Santa Fe in 2009.

The board said the "organizational culture" of the Department of Public Safety and State Police contributed to the accident because they put a priority on completing missions rather than safety. The board pointed to pilot fatigue, stress of the mission and self-imposed pilot pressure as other contributing factors in the crash.

The board issued its findings on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

The helicopter crashed shortly after picking up the hiker and taking off as a snow storm approach. The pilot and the hiker died. One crew member survived.



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