NTSP issues report on Erlanger medical helicopter crash

Report blames pilot error for crash

WASHINGTON D.C. (WDEF) – The National Transportation Safety Board has issued their final report on what went wrong in the Erlanger Air Medical crash from March.

The Life Force helicopter was transporting a patient in the North Carolina mountains at dusk when it went down.

Three passengers were taken to the hospital, while the pilot was not seriously injured.

The NTSB report blames the crash on pilot error, even though they credit him for a maneuver that saved everyone’s life.

The report says while flying through the mountains, he lowered the autopilot level to 5,000 feet because the cloud ceiling was dropping.

Then he looked down to study his logbook.

He says when he looked back up, they were headed toward some trees on a mountain.

He tried to climb the helicopter but the tail boom hit several trees.

Then the pilot “performed a forced landing on a road.”

The patient and two medical personnel were taken to the hospital, while the pilot did not need to be transported.

The NTSB report ruled pilot error.

“The pilot’s improper decision to review an aircraft logbook while enroute, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.”