Andy had wanted to be a pilot, it was a lifelong dream. He followed in his family's footsteps in law enforcement and followed his dream of becoming a pilot. He combined the two and became a pilot in the police department.<br />
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Andrew Francis Tingwall, 36, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was killed in the line of duty on June 11, 2009. He was trying to rescue a lost female hiker, but the helicopter went down northeast of Santa Fe Baldy at about 12,000 feet, shortly after takeoff. Both Tingwall and the hiker lost their lives. Governor Bill Richardson stated that he loved his helicopter, he loved the sky and he loved saving people.<br />
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Andy served with the New Mexico State Police Aircraft Section. In his 14 years with the state police, Tingwall was with the tactical team as a public information officer and trained more than 300 recruits to become law enforcement officers. Although he was the youngest among the pilots, he had more than 1,300 hours of flight time under his belt.<br />
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Honored 2010 |