FAA orders helicopter inspections after fatal Colorado crash
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded more than 300 Enstrom helicopters nationwide until they can be inspected for cracks like the one that may have caused a deadly Colorado crash.
In an emergency directive issued Thursday, the FAA said the investigation into the Jan. 26 crash so far indicates that the helicopter’s rotor blade came off because of a crack in the spindle, which holds the rotor blade in place.
The crash killed Alex Viola, a 23-year-old flight instructor from Arkansas City, Kansas, and Amy Wood, a 25-year-old student pilot from Boulder.
Michigan-based Enstrom has also told its operators worldwide to do inspections as a precaution. President Tracy Biegler says there’s no evidence this has been a problem on any other aircraft in the company’s 55 year history.
