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A British-born former land-speed record-holder has died in a helicopter crash in the US state of New Mexico.

Charles Burnett III, aged 61, was killed alongside a prominent Zimbabwean politician, Roy Bennett, Mr Bennett's wife Heather, and co-pilots Jamie Coleman Dodd and Paul Cobb.

Mr Cobb's daughter Andra, who was Mr Burnett's long-term partner, survived the crash with serious injuries.

Mr Burnett, based in Houston, had set a number of records on land and water.

His most notable achievement came in August 2009, when he was the driver of a British-built vehicle that achieved an average speed of 139.8mph to smash the world record for steam-powered cars.

Before his successful attempt - which took place in California - the record had remained unbroken for 103 years - and Mr Burnett's car was famously nicknamed the "fastest kettle in the world".

The editor of Guinness World Records, Craig Glenday, said he was "shocked and saddened" to hear of Mr Burnett's death, saying he "played an important role in what was to become a pioneering moment for the British Steam Car team".

"Charles clearly embodied passion," he added.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Roy Bennett, who has opposed former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, also died in the crash

Giving details of the fatal helicopter crash, New Mexico police said they had launched a frantic search when Ms Cobb called the emergency number but could not give her location.

They confirmed in a statement that the helicopter's wreckage was found burning on a rancher's property east of the city of Raton.</s>(Reuters) - Exiled Zimbabwe opposition leader Roy Bennett and four other people were killed in a helicopter crash in a remote northern part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, officials and his political party said on Thursday.

The crash of a private Huey helicopter in rugged terrain near Raton, New Mexico, on Wednesday evening killed Bennett, 60, along with his wife, Heather Bennett, 55, James Coleman Dodd, 57, of Colorado, Charles Ryland Burnett, 61, of Texas and Paul Cobb, 67, of Texas, New Mexico State Police said.

Bennett, a former treasurer general of the opposition MDC party, was an important figure in Zimbabwean politics and served time in prison under former President Robert Mugabe. He recently told CNN that his country would never again let itself be ruled by a dictatorship.</s>(Reuters) - Exiled Zimbabwe opposition leader Roy Bennett and four other people were killed in a helicopter crash in a remote northern part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, officials and his political party said on Thursday.

The crash of a private Huey helicopter in rugged terrain near Raton, New Mexico, on Wednesday evening killed Bennett, 60, along with his wife, Heather Bennett, 55, James Coleman Dodd, 57, of Colorado, Charles Ryland Burnett, 61, of Texas and Paul Cobb, 67, of Texas, New Mexico State Police said.

Bennett, a former treasurer general of the opposition MDC party, was an important figure in Zimbabwean politics and served time in prison under former President Robert Mugabe. He recently told CNN that his country would never again let itself be ruled by a dictatorship.

“Roy was a resolute and committed fighter for democratic change in Zimbabwe,” the MDC said in a statement.

The party described Bennett as a charismatic grassroots politician and successful farmer in the country’s eastern Chimanimani District. He was fluent in Zimbabwe’s Shona language, it said, and had helped hundreds of impoverished villagers pay school fees for their children.

Though white, Bennett fought for the rights of black Zimbabweans, the party said, and had the nickname “Pachedu,” a Shona word that translates as “together” or “one of us.”

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the crash 15 miles (24 km) east of Raton.</s>Exiled Zimbabwe opposition leader Roy Bennett and four other people were killed in a helicopter crash in a remote northern part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, officials and his political party said on Thursday.

The crash of a private Huey helicopter in rugged terrain near Raton, New Mexico, on Wednesday evening killed Bennett, 60, along with his wife, Heather Bennett, 55, James Coleman Dodd, 57, of Colorado, Charles Ryland Burnett, 61, of Texas and Paul Cobb, 67, of Texas, New Mexico State Police said.

Bennett, a former treasurer general of the opposition MDC party, was an important figure in Zimbabwean politics and served time in prison under former President Robert Mugabe. He recently told CNN that his country would never again let itself be ruled by a dictatorship.

“Roy was a resolute and committed fighter for democratic change in Zimbabwe,” the MDC said in a statement.

The party described Bennett as a charismatic grassroots politician and successful farmer in the country’s eastern Chimanimani District. He was fluent in Zimbabwe’s Shona language, it said, and had helped hundreds of impoverished villagers pay school fees for their children.

Though white, Bennett fought for the rights of black Zimbabweans, the party said, and had the nickname “Pachedu,” a Shona word that translates as “together” or “one of us.”

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the crash 15 miles (24 km) east of Raton.

The helicopter went down about 6pm on Wednesday about 15 miles (24km) east of the small city of Raton near the Colorado state line.

The injured victim of the crash called 911 after the helicopter went down and authorities launched a search. They said the response was slow because of the rugged terrain and remote area, which has few roads.

Engulfed in flames, the wreckage was spotted on the ranch property east of the small community of Raton. The fire had charred a large area around the crash site.

The crash also killed pilot Jamie Coleman Dodd, 57, of Trinidad, Colorado; co-pilot Paul Cobb, 67, of Conroe, Texas; Charles Ryland Burnett, 61, of Houston.

Bennett, a white former farmer, was known as “Pachedu”, meaning “one of us” in Shona and was often called the sharpest thorn in the side of former president Robert Mugabe.

In 2004, Bennett was jailed for a year for assaulting a cabinet minister who had said Bennett’s “forefathers were thieves and murderers” during a parliamentary debate. An enraged Bennett charged the minister, who fell to the floor.

He emerged from prison rail-thin and scarred from repeated sunburns. He told of the mistreatment of fellow prisoners, some of whom he said had starved to death in their cells.

After receiving death threats, Bennett fled Zimbabwe but returned in 2009 after his party nominated him for the deputy agriculture minister in a coalition government with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF. Mugabe, who had repeatedly alleged Bennett was the opposition party’s contact with foreign funders, refused to swear him in.

Bennett later returned to South Africa but remained a vocal critic of Mugabe’s rule. He also criticized his former party for allegedly enjoying the comforts of government while ordinary Zimbabweans suffered.</s>The Zimbabwean politician Roy Bennett who had two spells in prison under President Robert Mugabe has been killed alongside his wife in a helicopter crash.

The 60-year-old was reportedly killed with wife Heather after the helicopter came down in a mountainous area of New Mexico.

Mr Bennett spent years campaigning against Mugabe and was famously jailed in 2009 while trying to negotiate a power-sharing government with the dictator.

Following his release and fearing further charges against him he fled to South Africa.

Former Zimbabwe government minister David Coltart wrote on Facebook, “I have just confirmed from three separate reliable sources that Roy and Heather Bennett have been tragically killed in a helicopter accident in North America.

“I am devastated- they were two of Zimbabwe’s greatest patriots. My condolences are extended to their family & friends.”

Bennett lived in South Africa on political asylum, which was first granted in 2007, and fled again after he was jailed on his return.

The politician was former treasurer general of the Movement for Democratic Change Tsvangirai (MDC - T) which is currently Zimbabwe's main opposition party.

MDC-T vice-president Nelson Chamisa wrote on Twitter: “I’m devastated as I have just received tragic news about Roy Bennett and his wife’s involvement in a helicopter accident in Canada."

Police in New Mexico confirmed the crash in a rural area of the state on Wednesday.</s>Prominent Zimbabwean politician Roy Bennett has been killed with his wife in a helicopter crash in North America. The couple died along with three others when the aircraft crashed on Wednesday in a mountainous area in the US state of New Mexico. One person survived.

The following is a news release from the New Mexico State Police:

Around 6:00 p.m. on January 17, 2018, Raton, New Mexico Police Department (RPD) dispatch contacted New Mexico State Police regarding a call of a downed helicopter.

RPD received a 911 call from a victim in the crash who reported the incident. The victim informed dispatch there were six people aboard the helicopter when it crashed. The caller reported three were injured and the other three unaccounted for. The exact location of the crash was uncertain.

 

 Area law enforcement, including New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and Colfax County Sheriff’s Department began searching for the site. Local fire departments and EMS were also activated. A fire was reported at a nearby ranch, approximately ten miles east of Raton. The downed helicopter was believed to have caused the fire. The New Mexico State Police Aircraft Division deployed a helicopter to assist in the search.

 

 Fire department and law enforcement vehicles responded to the area, but response was slow due to the area being extremely remote with rugged terrain and limited road access. Wreckage was spotted in a rancher’s property east of Raton. A grass fire had burned the area of approximately a mile radius around the crash site.

 

 New Mexico State Police officers on scene reported the helicopter wreckage had been engulfed in fire making identification difficult. Three individuals were located at the site deceased. Two other male subjects were alive but in critical condition. The passenger who called 911 was injured but able to give some information.

 

 Officers and EMS began immediate medical treatment on scene. One of the passengers in critical condition died at the scene a short time later. Another succumbed to injuries while en route to a hospital via air medical transport.

 

 The deceased have been identified as

Jamie Coleman Dodd (57) of Trinidad, CO – pilot

 Paul Cobb (67) of Conroe, TX – co-pilot

 Charles Ryland Burnett (61) of Houston, TX

 Roy Bennett (60) of Colorado and South Africa

 Heather Bennett (55) of Colorado

The survivor of the crash sustained serious injuries but is expected to survive.

 

 The nature of this flight is not known. The helicopter has been identified as a private Huey helicopter. The tail number is not available. The limited flight information available indicates the helicopter was traveling from Raton, NM to Folsom, NM.

 

 The Federal Aviation Administration was contacted to investigate this crash and is currently on scene. For any question regarding the cause and nature of this crash, please contact the FAA. No further details are available.</s>Roy Bennett, a prominent Zimbabwean opposition figure, has been killed with his wife in a helicopter crash in the US state of New Mexico.

Local police confirmed Bennett’s death on Thursday, a day after a helicopter carrying him and five others went down in a mountainous rural area of northern New Mexico. 



Details of why the 60-year-old Bennett was in the area were not immediately available. The crash killed five people including Bennett’s wife Heather, and injured a sixth person who raised the alarm.

In Zimbabwe, Tendai Biti, a prominent opposition leader and a former finance minister, tweeted that the Bennett’s “tragic passing” was “a blow to our struggle”.

The helicopter went down about 6pm on Wednesday about 15 miles (24km) east of the small city of Raton near the Colorado state line.



The injured victim of the crash called 911 after the helicopter went down and authorities launched a search. They said the response was slow because of the rugged terrain and remote area, which has few roads.

Engulfed in flames, the wreckage was spotted on the ranch property east of the small community of Raton. The fire had charred a large area around the crash site.

The crash also killed pilot Jamie Coleman Dodd, 57, of Trinidad, Colorado; co-pilot Paul Cobb, 67, of Conroe, Texas; Charles Ryland Burnett, 61, of Houston.

Bennett, a white former farmer, was known as “Pachedu”, meaning “one of us” in Shona and was often called the sharpest thorn in the side of former president Robert Mugabe.

In 2004, Bennett was jailed for a year for assaulting a cabinet minister who had said Bennett’s “forefathers were thieves and murderers” during a parliamentary debate. An enraged Bennett charged the minister, who fell to the floor.

He emerged from prison rail-thin and scarred from repeated sunburns. He told of the mistreatment of fellow prisoners, some of whom he said had starved to death in their cells.

After receiving death threats, Bennett fled Zimbabwe but returned in 2009 after his party nominated him for the deputy agriculture minister in a coalition government with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF. Mugabe, who had repeatedly alleged Bennett was the opposition party’s contact with foreign funders, refused to swear him in.

Bennett later returned to South Africa but remained a vocal critic of Mugabe’s rule. He also criticized his former party for allegedly enjoying the comforts of government while ordinary Zimbabweans suffered.</s>Key Zimbabwean opposition leader Roy Bennett was one of five people killed when a helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of New Mexico, police said Thursday.

One other person “sustained serious injuries,” New Mexico state police said in a statement. The private Huey UH-1, which had six people on board, crashed Wednesday evening about 15 miles east of Raton, located near the Colorado state line.

It’s unclear what caused the crash and officials said “the nature of this flight is not known.”

Those onboard were identified as: Jamie Coleman Dodd, 57, the pilot; Paul Cobb, 67; Charles Ryland Burnett, 61; Roy Bennett, 60; and Eileen Bennett, 55.

“FAA will arrive [Thursday] to investigate cause of the crash. #NMSP officers still working to gain information,” police tweeted.

Bennett had been a member of the British South Africa Police and the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. As the treasurer for the Movement for Democratic Change party, he drew the ire of ousted leader Robert Mugabe.

Huey helicopters are flown for individuals, businesses and government agencies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) Treasurer-General Roy Bennett and his wife Heather have died in a helicopter crash in North America.

Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti paid tribute to the outspoken former Chimanimani legislator

“Just learnt of the tragic passing on in Canada of Heather and Roy Pachedu Badze Bennett. What a serious loss to mankind. What a blow to Charles and the rest of the family. What a blow to our struggle . I can’t believe I can’t believe I will never speak to you again Badze !” Biti wrote.

Former Education Minister David Coltart writing on Twitter said;

“I have just confirmed from three separate reliable sources that Roy and Heather Bennett have been tragically killed in a helicopter accident in North America. I am devastated- they were two of Zimbabwe’s greatest patriots. My condolences are extended to their family and friends.”

“I remember when I was a reporter at The Standard & called Roy Bennett. Didn’t know then that he spoke Shona. I kept asking for Mr Bennett. He kept shouting back “ndati ndivo vano VaBennett”. And I was wondering which fella is this taking me for a fool in that Manyika accent. RIP.”

MDC-T vice-president Mr Nelson Chamisa confirmed the couple’s tragic death this evening saying “I’m devastated as I have just received tragic news about Roy Bennet and wife’s involvement in a helicopter crash while in Canada.”

“Sad about the tragic passing of Roy Bennett and wife. Pachedu was a man of the people. Way before politics our people kanyi in Chimanimani were devastated by Cyclone Eline. How Roy stepped up to assist the community entrenched him in the hearts of his compatriots. He will be missed!”

“The MDC received, with utter and complete shock, the news of the tragic passing on of our former national treasurer – general, Roy Bennett and his dear wife, Heather, in a helicopter crash in Canada on Thursday,January 18,2018. Roy was a resolute and committed fighter for democratic change in Zimbabwe. A founder member of the MDC, Roy was a charismatic and extremely popular grassroots mobiliser who easily connected with both senior and ordinary members of the party.

“Roy or Pachedu as he was affectionately known was a successful commercial farmer in Chimanimani. His work with the local farming communities in Chimanimani district is very well – documented and he was also a renowned philanthropist who assisted hundreds of local villagers with school fees for their children and other necessary requirements to look after their families.

“Fluent in the Shona language,Pachedu was a colourful and loving character who deeply loved both his party and his country. Pachedu’s tragic and untimely passing on is extremely painful. Heather stood by Roy through thick and thin and she will also be sadly missed.This monumental tragedy is a deep wound that will never heal.May Roy and Heather’s departed souls rest in eternal peace,” Gutu added.

As previously reported by Nehanda Radio, Bennett was one of the three white parliamentarians elected in the Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 2000 despite the intimidation against MDC voters by supporters of ZANU-PF. During the election campaign, his wife who was three months pregnant, was physically abused by ZANU activists on their farm and subsequently miscarried her baby boy.</s>HARARE - Former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) treasurer Roy Bennett has died.

He was killed in a tragic helicopter crash in Canada together with his wife Heather.

Confirming the deaths, respected lawyer David Coltart tweeted, "I have just confirmed from three reliable sources that Roy and Heather Bennett have been tragically killed in a helicopter accident in North America. I am devastated - they were two of Zimbabwe's greatest compatriots. My condolences are extended to family and friends."

Roy Bennett will always be remembered for his feisty personality that led to a near fist fight in Parliament with then Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa in 2004 that landed him a 12 month jail term.

During the Government of National Unity (2009-2013), Roy Bennett was MDC-T's deputy minister of agriculture designate however, former president Robert Mugabe refused to swear him in.

Roy and Heather Bennett are survived by two children.
Zimbabwean politician Roy Bennett is killed in a helicopter crash near Raton, New Mexico, United States.