Condition improves of victim in Grand Canyon copter crash

FILE: Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim in Arizona (Photo by Staplegunther at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

LAS VEGAS — Authorities say a British tourist who was pulled from the wreckage of a fiery helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon has been upgraded to fair condition at a Nevada hospital.

They say 29-year-old Jennifer Barham had been in critical condition since the sightseeing helicopter from Las Vegas went down Feb. 10 on tribal land outside Grand Canyon National Park.

A spokesman for University Medical Center of Southern Nevada says the 42-year-old pilot remains in critical condition.

Three other British tourists aboard the helicopter were killed the day of the crash and two others died weeks later after being hospitalized.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board says the helicopter made at least two 360-degree turns before crashing.

Aviation experts say that indicates the tail rotor wasn’t operating properly.