Four Dead in Maryland Helicopter Crash

[Matt Molnar]

Four dead after helicopter crashes on highway in Maryland (http://news.bnonews.com/ibmt)
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Maryland (BNO NEWS) -- A commercial helicopter crashed on a highway in Washington County, Maryland on Thursday evening, officials told BNO News.

It crashed on westbound Interstate 70 near mile marker 37, which is near the Washington County and Frederick County line. The aircraft went down and caught fire after it hit some power lines. All four people on board were killed in the crash, according to Jim Peters, who is a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The helicopter was owned and operated by Marsan Aviation, Inc, which is a company from Wilmington, Delaware. Official records showed the certificate was issued on March 12, 2007 and was still valid when it crashed. Peters said it was a Robinson R44, which has four seats.

No one on the ground was injured. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were responding to the crash and will investigate the cause.

The highway was still closed in both directions as of early Friday morning.

[Gerard]

Reportedly fog in the area and possible thunderstorms.
Sad

[Mateo]

They were trying to get from Hagerstown back to the base at Frederick. HGR is at 700', FDK is at 400', and there's a 1200' ridge between the two, which is right about where the crash was. It looks like they were scud-running along I-70, which runs between the two and clipped some powerlines in the darkness. Very sad.

[cancidas]

...powerlines in the darkness.
i remember talking to an instructor at Ft. Rucker who hit power lines at night in an OH-58 and lived to talk about it. he was talking as if it was a life-changing experience for him, as i'm sure it would be. that's about the only thing that scares me, and my helo has cable cutters on it. may they R.I.P.

[Mateo]

Don't believe the R44s have cable cutters like most of the Bells do. The company at FDK are a good bunch of folks - they've let me poke around in their hangar when I was on scene for the AOPA open houses.

[PhilDernerJr]

What are cable cutters?

[cancidas]

Don't believe the R44s have cable cutters like most of the Bells do.
even if they did, i don't think a Robinson has enough power to cut the thing in the first place.


What are cable cutters?
http://www.heliaust.com.au/images/product/extra_image/Wire-Strike-Cutter-Above.jpg

[PhilDernerJr]

Wouldn't the rotors still hit them?

[cancidas]

Wouldn't the rotors still hit them?
if you miss the wire cutters then yes they'll hit. they exist to minimize the risk of damage associated with hitting a wire. if they strike the cutter the wire will snap and won't get snagged on the gear or rotorhead.

[Matt Molnar]

NTSB has released a preliminary report on this accident... the pilot may have been attempting to turn around to avoid fog at the time of the crash.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_i ... 5537&key=1 (http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20090724X05537&key=1)

[Gerard]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryla ... rint.story (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.coptercrash01aug01,0,5507712,print.story)

Bad weather, nightime, low time pilot. Ah, I'll take that ground ride thank you.
Very sad.