The cockpit and cabin area of the LifeStar medical helicopter
that crashed into a heavily wooded area near Lindholm Road earlier
this month was “consumed by fire” after an explosion left pieces of
the aircraft strewn across a circular, 180-foot-long area.
That’s the word from a preliminary report released by the
National Transportation Safety Board into the fatal medical
helicopter crash that claimed the life of Erie man Heinz Schulz,
59, an 18-year veteran pilot.
The Oct. 7 crash while Schulz was on a refueling mission to
Bradford Regional Airport after dropping off two other crew members
to prepare a patient for transport at Kane Community Hospital,
launched a nearly two-day search by scores of responders, whose
efforts were in vain after Schulz was discovered dead while still
in the cockpit of the helicopter on the afternoon of Oct. 9.
The crash is being investigated by Brian Raynor, an air safety
investigator for the board. The report does not give a definitive
cause for the accident, but offers a glimpse of what occurred at
the time of approach to the airport and the subsequent impact with
the ground.
“The cockpit and cabin area were consumed by fire,” the report
reads. “All instruments and gauges associated with the cockpit were
destroyed by impact and post crash fire. The helicopter was
fragmented, burned and melted along the entire (wreckage)
path.”
The report indicated a witness – who was not identified – living
about one mile from the crash site, felt the helicopter was closer
to his home, lower than usual and louder than normal, adding he was
familiar with the sound of aircraft flying overhead because he had
lived close to the final approach of Runway 32 at the airport for
several years.
According to the report, the witness described the sound as
“smooth and continuous” with no change in the aircraft noise. After
the helicopter flew over his home, the witness “heard the sound of
an explosion.”
Despite the explosion, the report indicates all major components
of the helicopter were located and accounted for at the scene. The
initial point of impact was in a treetop 50 feet above the ground
on level terrain.
“There were several pieces of angularly cut wood along the
wreckage path,” according to the report, “and several trees with
fire damage and long, angular slices along their trunks.”
The report adds a large tree 15 inches in diameter was broken
off about 25 feet above the ground, with sheets of material
embedded into its trunk. Both engines and four rotor blades were
also extensively damaged by the fire.
Earlier in the report, it indicates at one point that Schulz was
on the wrong heading for Bradford Regional on his final approach to
the facility.
In a conversation with an air traffic controller at Cleveland
Center, the controller states “Say your heading … I’ve got you
heading the wrong way for Bradford.”
Responding, Schulz said “Seven yankee lima … currently two four
six on the heading.”
“And you’re heading to Bradford, B-F-D, Bradford, P-A?” the
controller said.
“Affirmative,” Schulz responded back to the controller.
At the time of approach, Schulz was using Instrument Flight
Rules (IRL), in which the pilot relies solely on his instruments to
land. The weather at the Mount Alton airport the night of the crash
was overcast, with 2 1/2 miles of visibility.
“I’ve got you on the right side of the I-L-S,” the controller
radioed to Schulz.
” … I should be able to rejoin,” Schulz replied.
Later, the controller again asks if Schulz is “established on
the I-L-S?”
“Recapturing,” Schulz said. “You say affirmative?” the
controller replied. “Affirmative” Schulz responded.
The report later indicates the helicopter’s track was
approaching the runway’s centerline, and then turned sharply away
from and to the right of its inbound course. The track showed an
approximate heading of 100 degrees when the helicopter disappeared
from radar. The last radar plot showed the aircraft over the crash
site at 4,300 feet above sea level, one mile east of the extended
runway centerline and four miles from the airport.
According to the report, the pilot’s logbook was not recovered
at the scene, however, flight times were taken from company
records. In the 90 days prior to the accident, Schulz logged 56
hours of total time, all of which was in the Augusta 109E
helicopter. He also logged more than 25 hours of flight experience
at night.
Previously, officials with CJ Systems Aviation Group of West
Mifflin, who contracted to provide the LifeStar service out of St.
Vincent and Hamot Medical centers in Erie, said Schulz was a very
experienced pilot, logging more than 9,000 flight hours.
All told, the helicopter had accrued 1,905 total airframe hours
and its most recent inspection was done on Aug. 5 of this year.
A final report into the crash will likely be released in six
months.
