Preliminary report released on Charleston County Sheriff’s chopper crash

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on a Charleston County Sheriff’s Office helicopter crash that injured the agency’s chief pilot.

The crash happened on Aug. 1 at approximately 3:30 p.m. and involved the sheriff’s office’s Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407, piloted by Lt. Scott Martray.

Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed “substantial damage” to the fuselage, main rotor system and tail rotor system, the report states.

They also found one of two bolt that secure the lever assemblies in the tail rotor control system was missing and that the other bolt was in place but loose. The report states the cotter pin for its attachment nut was also missing.

The report states maintenance records revealed the bolts would have been removed and reinstalled during recent maintenance on June 28, about 15 flight hours prior to the accident.

The crash happened as the helicopter was returning to Charleston from the Sumter Airport. Investigators say that about 35 minutes into the flight, Martray reported the helicopter was starting to yaw, or rotate, slowly to the right. When he attempted to apply the left pedal, the helicopter did not respond, leading Martray to tell investigators, “It felt as if the pedals were not attached.”

Martray contacted the Charleston International Airport tower and declared an emergency and set up for an approach to runway 15.

“While crossing the runway threshold, about 20 feet above ground level, the helicopter started to yaw to the right. He lowered the collective, but the helicopter continued to yaw right,” the report states. “He then reduced the throttle and attempted to maintain a level attitude. The helicopter struck the ground adjacent to the runway at a high rate of descent, coming to rest in the grass adjacent to runway 15. The tail rotor boom severed during the impact sequence.”

Martray was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash. Martray, who has been with the agency since 2006, was the only person aboard the chopper when it crashed.

Sheriff’s office spokesman Andrew Knapp said experience is a requirement for a pilot at the sheriff’s office.

“Our pilots are very well trained. They have to come to our agency with experience and so they have a lot of knowledge of helicopters and so they know how to fly,” he said.

The sheriff’s office had owned the chopper for about five years with the aircraft costing about $3.4 million. He said the sheriff’s office routinely conducts patrols over the county by helicopter.

“It’s been a very effective helicopter. We’ve used it on a lot of missions and you know, it’s been very effective for us,” Knapp said.

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