Releasing their final report on the fatal September 2017 accident, investigators also point out a problem with the throttle control assembly as contributory factor.
- December 5, 2018
AceShowbiz - Investigators have determined pilot error following engine problems was to blame for the helicopter crash that led to the death of country star Troy Gentry.
The singer passed away on 8 September, 2017 after the chopper, in which he was a passenger, suffered mechanical issues and came down moments after take off from Flying W Airport in Medford, New Jersey, where Troy had been scheduled to perform with his Montgomery Gentry bandmate, Eddie Montgomery, later that night.
Gentry, 50, was rescued from the wreckage of the Model 269 helicopter, but he was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The only other person on board, pilot James Evan Robinson, was killed upon impact.
In a preliminary accident report, federal investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined a faulty engine caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft, but now experts have established that Robinson's response to the mechanical problems ultimately led to the fatal accident.
NTSB officials have released their final report, in which they explain the pilot cut the engine too quickly as he attempted to make an emergency landing, causing the helicopter to crash in the woods before they could return to the runway at the New Jersey airport.
They also highlighted a problem with the throttle control assembly as a contributory factor in the fatal crash, reports The Associated Press.
