October 30, 2008
Beacon News Staff
Aurora -- With no indication of tower lighting problems or helicopter malfunctions in the fatal Air Angels crash two weeks ago, investigators have turned to the pilot’s background for clues.
Pilot Del Waugh’s “experience and background” will be looked into as the investigation continues, John Brannen of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday morning.
His duty time and work on similar medical transport missions will be checked, as well as a 72-hour history of Waugh prior to the Oct. 15 crash. Waugh, two crewman and a 14-month-old patient died when the chopper struck a radio tower owned by WBIG-AM and crashed just east of Eola Road.
On Thursday, the NTSB released its first formal account of the incident. The seven-paragraph account covers the evidence obtained by NTSB investigators. It indicates “no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction” was found after inspection of the airframe, flight controls, engines and drive system recovered after the crash.
The report also states the helicopter’s rotor severed the conduit that provided electrical power to the strobe lighting system, which had been questioned by witnesses.
A report on a probable cause will take several months.
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