CHARLOTTE — The National Transportation Safety Board announced in its final report released Thursday that investigators found the helicopter's hardware was missing and severed, according to the Associated Press.
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According to the Associated Press, the cause of the crash was likely due to improper inspection by the pilot and maintenance personnel. According to WSOC, it happened on November 22, 2022.
The helicopter crashed along Interstate 77 in Charlotte, WSOC reported. It was a Robinson R44 helicopter.
The helicopter crash killed both the pilot and a North Carolina news station meteorologist, according to the Associated Press. The pilot was identified as Chip Tayag and the meteorologist was identified as Jason Myers.
The helicopter was in the air for about five minutes before the pilot lost control of the aircraft, the news agency said.
“Three goes down, sky three goes down,” Tayag said, according to the NTSB report, according to WSOC. Myers and Tayag died at the scene.
“The end of the left forward control rod, which was supposed to be connected to the main rotor's fixed swash plate, had become detached and the connecting fitting was missing,” the NTSB report said.
News outlets reported that other hardware may have been accidentally installed about three years ago. The helicopter last underwent maintenance on October 21, 2022.
Read the full NTSB report to learn more.
