The pilot in a fatal Airbus H135 helicopter crash in south Florida heard two distinct “bangs” — and activated a fire suppression system to try and extinguish an in-flight blaze — before spinning out of control and impacting an apartment building, investigators said.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released the findings in a preliminary report into the Aug. 28 crash involving a helicopter from the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) near the coastal city of Pompano Beach, Florida.
Broward Sherriff Fire Rescue Capt Terryson Jackson, 50, a battalion chief, and civillian apartment resident Lurean Wheaton, 65, died in the incident.
“Terryson was a rock star. He was one of the best of us, one of the brightest,” said Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony in a statement.
“He bled this profession inside and out, all day long. The type of effort and commitment he had for this community – impeccable. We’re going to suffer. We’re going to hurt, but this community should know that we’re prepared to answer the next call.”
One additional member of the helicopter crew suffered serious injuries, and another escaped with minor injuries, per the NTSB report. The helicopter was destroyed.
During an interview with NTSB investigators, the pilot said the helicopter was dispatched to transport a patient from the scene of an automobile incident.
During the initial climb, west of Pompano Beach Airpark, the pilot heard a “bang” at the rear of the aircraft at an altitude of between 300 feet 400 feet, the NTSB said.
The pilot noticed the turbine outlet temperature (TOT) was rising on the No. 1 engine. He set the No. 1 engine throttle to idle, declared an emergency to air traffic control, and reversed direction to return to the airport.
He scanned the cockpit instrument panel and noticed the No. 1 engine fire button had illuminated and pressed the button to activate the fire suppression system, but the TOT continued to rise, the NTSB report states.
The pilot heard a second bang and was unable to control the aircraft; it spun and descended into the apartment building. A witness video showed an in-flight fire near the engine exhaust system and tailboom attach point, investigators said.
The helicopter’s tailboom partially separated in-flight and the helicopter descended in a right spin. The wreckage came to rest on its left side, facing south, through the roof of the one-storey apartment building.
“A postcrash fire consumed the majority of the airframe,” investigators said. The tailboom was located about 30 feet south of the main wreckage, with its tailrotor intact.
All four main rotor blades separated near the blade root, “consistent with impact damage,” the NTSB said.
Both engines and their full authority digital engine control unit were retained for further examination and data download, along with the hydraulic lines for the tailrotor actuator, near the tailboom attach point, and the No. 1 engine shutoff valve assembly.
The helicopter was operated about 24 hours from the time of its most recent inspection, until the accident, investigators said.
It was manufactured in 1999 and powered by two Safran (formerly Turbomeca) Arrius 2B1, 670-turboshaft horsepower engines. It was maintained under a manufacturer’s approved inspection program, investigators said.
The aircraft’s most recent 100-hour inspection was completed May 23, 2023. At that time, the airframe had accrued 5,557.1 total hours. The engines had accrued 5,327.2 hours since new (2,251.3 hours since overhaul in 2016).
The incident took place around 8:44 a.m. local time, under a visual flight rules flight plan. Wind speed was seven knots.
The NTSB has not yet indicated what may have caused the fire, and a final investigation report is not expected until the summer of 2024.
