The tail section of a helicopter broke off in flight, approximately 30 feet in the air, causing a hard landing for its passengers Tuesday near Rio Blanco County Road 83 in the Piceance Basin. The helicopter, belonging to Quicksilver Air, was contracted by the Colorado Division of Wildlife for capture work related to a mule deer study. The pilot and gunner were flown by helicopter to St. Mary’s Hospital, where they were treated and released. The Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash site and recovered the helicopter and are awaiting the results of an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.