NTSB: Medical helicopter crash in Frisco was preventable
Federal investigators say a medical helicopter crash in Frisco that killed the pilot and seriously injured two passengers was preventable.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined in a report released Tuesday that the July 3, 2015, crash stemmed from a pre-flight check in which the pilot, 64-year-old Patrick Mahany, turned off a switch that cut hydraulic pressure to the tail rotor.
The report says Mahany probably didn’t turn the switch back on before takeoff.
The Denver Post reports paramedic David Repsher and flight nurse Matthew Bowe were critically injured in the crash next to St. Anthony Summit Medical Center.
The investigation also found that the crash was survivable, but it became deadly because the helicopter wasn’t equipped with a crash-resistant fuel system. The helicopter burst into flames upon impact.
