March 15, 2013, Grand Lake, La., Sikorsky S-76A++

At about 1147 Central time, the helicopter was substantially damaged during ground impact. All three occupants—the pilot and two maintenance personnel—were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. While in cruise flight at about 1000 feet agl, the pilot radioed to ATC he had an emergency and would be immediately landing off the airport. Radar data provided by the FAA showed the helicopter in a descent prior to contact being lost.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A helicopter crashed following an emergency declaration mid-flight, resulting in the fatal injury of all three occupants and substantial damage from a post-crash fire.
A witness reported hearing an unusual grinding noise and observing the helicopter in a shallow descent prior to the crash.
Initial investigation revealed two tail rotor blades were missing from the wreckage and have not yet been located.

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While in cruise flight at about 1000 feet agl, the pilot radioed to ATC he had an emergency and would be immediately landing off the airport. Radar data provided by the FAA showed the helicopter in a descent prior to contact being lost. The wreckage was found about five miles southeast of the airport. The helicopter was consumed by a post-crash fire.