Few clues in HPD helicopter crash report

NTSB’s preliminary findings on fatal flight provide little insight into cause of tragedy

A preliminary federal report into the fatal Houston Police Department helicopter crash offered little insight into why the aircraft went down on May 2, killing the flight tactical officer and injuring the pilot.

The report, released Thursday evening by the National Transportation Safety Board, details the account of a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter crew who contacted George Bush Intercontinental Airport for permission to enter the airspace near where the HPD pilot was flying. A member of the DPS crew then asked if the flight controller was still in contact with the police helicopter.

The controller said “radar contact” was lost and the DPS crew told them “there was an indication that the helicopter had impacted terrain.”

DPS spokesman Lt. Craig Cummings said the helicopter crew was refueling when a dispatcher told them of a possible crash at a Greenspoint apartment complex. They took off to survey what they could from above as dozens of police officers rushed to free the trapped HPD crew on the ground.

In response to the crash, Chief Art Acevedo ordered that the HPD helicopter fleet be grounded. Since then, DPS has been helping HPD patrol by air, Cummings said.

The report also cites witness video of the crash that showed the aircraft uncontrollably spinning as it plunged to the ground at 17050 Imperial Valley Drive.

NTSB officials said earlier this week that possible data from an infrared camera was recovered from the wreckage. Investigators will examine the data to see if it will offer any clues into what happened. The aircraft was not equipped with a so-called black box device that would have recorded cockpit audio or other flight data. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, such devices are not required in

helicopters.

Police have said they were investigating whether gunfire that erupted around the same time was a factor in the crash. Local and federal officials have not yet found evidence of “hostile action.”

The helicopter was manned by tactical flight officer Jason Knox and pilot Chase Cormier. Knox was killed and his funeral is scheduled for Saturday morning.

Cormier survived and remains hospitalized.

A representative from the aircraft’s Arizona-based manufacturer, MD Helicopters Inc., as well as those from Rolls Royce and Boeing

Helicopters is helping with the crash probe, the report states.

The completed version of the NTSB report can take up to two years, according to government officials.