NTSB releases information about deadly Uvalde helicopter crash on Feb. 27
The shadow of a Robinson R-44 helicopter is viewed as it lifts off from Charles M. Schulz Santa Rosa Airport on November 5, 2017, in Santa Rosa, California. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
UVALDE, Texas - The NTSB has completed its preliminary report about a fatal helicopter crash that happened in Uvalde on Feb. 27.
NTSB Preliminary Report
What we know:
According to the report, the crash happened just after 1 p.m. as the helicopter was performing an aerial survey flight.
The report says the purpose of the flight was to perform a low-level aerial survey of white-tailed deer on the Two Sisters Ranch in Uvalde.
The pilot was employed by HOLT Helicopters Inc. and the passenger worked for the Two Sisters Ranch, performing wildlife management duties.
According to the report, "The pilot had been employed by the operator for several years and had extensive experience performing low-level aerial surveys and was familiar with the operating area."
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Two Sisters Ranch Survey
The helicopter left from the ranch around 7:30 a.m. for the aerial survey work. The operator had a fuel truck staged at the ranch to facilitate fueling operations.
The ranch foreman noticed the helicopter was past due to refuel, and he contacted the wife of the pilot. The wife of the pilot said she received a Life360 emergency notification on her phone about the accident that had originated from the pilot’s phone.
First responders were notified about the missing helicopter, and the wreckage was found in a remote, flat area on the ranch, consisting of trees, brush, and cactus.
The accident site was found about 245 ft to the east of a dirt road and a wildlife feed and water station. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the main rotor system, the tailcone, and the tail rotor system.
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Aerial Survey Flights
The aerial survey flights are typically flown between 75 and 100 ft above ground level, east to west passes are performed, and with an airspeed between 20 to 30 kts. As the deer are observed, the front-left seat passenger would record his observations in a notebook, noting the number of bucks, does, and yearlings.
Also onboard the helicopter was a Benelli M2 12-gauge shotgun with buckshot shells, that would be used from the air to dispatch wild pigs (classified as an invasive species) that were observed on the ranch property.
What we don't know:
The cause of the crash has not been determined.
The FAA and the NTSB did not release any identifying information about the two victims.
The Source: Information in this article is from the National Transportation Safety Board preliminary investigation report.