A National Transportation Safety Board official briefing reporters on Wednesday said witnesses heard a loud “boom” from a Mercy Flight helicopter seconds before it crashed, killing both pilots.
The Bell helicopter went down this week in field in Elba, Genesee County, while on a training flight. Pilot James Sauer died in the crash, as did Bell Helicopter employee Stewart Dietrick, from Texas.
NTSB investigator Aaron McCarter says several witnesses heard a loud boom from the chopper before it crashed…and the tail rotor was found 300 feet from the rest of the wreckage. Indications are the tail boom separated from the helicopter in flight, which would have sent it into a non-recoverable spin. McCarter said they can’t tell yet who was flying the helicopter when the accident occurred.
The wreckage is being sent for analysis to a facility in Delaware, and NTSB and other investigators will be on the scene for several more days.