Twenty-four hours after a National Guard helicopter crashed in Cochise County, News 4 takes a closer look at the scene.
The National Guard was using the chopper for Operation Jump Start, President Bush's program to put boots on the border, to help with security.
The helicopter, tangled in power lines, caught fire after an emergency landing east of Douglas around 3:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
The pilot and a Border Patrol agent made it out safely.
It was the first aviation accident for Arizona's Operation Jump Start, which started this summer.
Both the Arizona National Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration are involved in the investigation.
This was the scene Thursday night after helicopter crashed into the desert, off Highway 80.
The OH-58 looked like this one.
Douglas firefighters arrived on the scene first, rushing to put out the flaming chopper.
Oscar Elias, a department spokesman, described the scene as "A ball of fire, melting metal, smoke coming out from the desert, downed power lines, and BP agents all over."
A rotor on the helicopter clipped a power line, sending the aircraft into a gully.
First Sgt. Larry Talvy says that the National Guard pilot and the Border Patrol agent were looking for a group of illegal immigrants when they were forced to make an emergency landing.
Talvy said, "The aircraft had definitely been destroyed severely. When you look at it, you're surprised anyone survived the accident."
The two men got out before the observational helicopter caught fire.
Talvy said, "The pilot did an exceptional job to make the landing as smooth as possible."
Overgrown brush fueled an intense fire camouflaging the wreckage into the terrain.
Guardsmen with M-16's watched over the crash site.
Talvy said, "This incident isn't going to hamper our mission, it's just going to slow it down a little bit. We'll get back on our feet and continue on."
The investigation is underway, while the National Guard maintains a 24-hour surveillance until the aircraft can be removed.