A helicopter filming Audi’s "Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak" car has crashed near the mountain’s 14,100 foot summit. The accident occurred sometime before 7:30am.
According to reports out of Denver, four people were aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. The pilot of the downed helicopter suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The three passengers sustained non-life threatening injuries.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, but the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation. The identities of those injured have not been released.
Audi confirmed that the helicopter was carrying a crew hired to film the autonomous car’s Pikes Peak climb. The German automaker also confirmed that none aboard the helicopter were from Stanford University, Audi’s partner in the project.