OWENTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report surrounding the October 7 medical helicopter crash that killed three in Owenton.
Following the crash, a statement released by the FAA reported that the medical helicopter had hit a "guy wire" on a tower. Brian Rayner, NTSB senior air safety investigator said during an October 8 press conference that the helicopter had hit a "known hazard," and that the pilot was reportedly circling the area until a patient was ready to be picked up from a landing zone.
According to the NTSB report released today, the helicopter's last inspection was performed September 16, 2024 and was equipped with systems that "provided both visual and aural terrain and obstacle advisories to the pilot and crew."
All major components of the helicopter were accounted for at the scene of the crash, with five impeller blades exhibiting bending "near the tips in the direction of opposite of blade rotation."
The "silver" blade of the helicopter experienced a fracture "about mid-span," with approximately five feet of the blade found about 500 feet away from the base of the tower. The report goes on to say that both blades "displayed similar leading-edge gouges and striations similar in dimension to the strands of the guy wire cabling."
Damage to the helicopter's compressor was "consistent with engine operation during and ingestion of material during the impact sequence," the NTSB said in the report.
The helicopter's main rotor hub and blade assembly were located about 300 feet away from the base of the tower while certain components of the aircraft, including the cockpit instruments and avionics components, were destroyed by impact and fire.
Inspection of the tower was performed immediately following the crash by a structural engineering firm. According to that report, lower hardware of the top northwest guy wire was found to be damaged, with the vibration dampers broken off and the guy wire tensioning rods bent.
However, "an exact impact location could not be identified," the report said.
Pilot Gale "Butch" Alleman, flight nurse Bethany Aicken, and flight paramedic James Welsh died at the scene of that crash.
Read the full report here: Report_ERA25FA005_195271_10_23_2024 2_25_03 PM.pdf
