The manufacturer of the NBC helicopter that crashed in Los Angeles this week says it is assisting federal investigators as they work to determine what happened.
Airbus Helicopters, which manufactured the Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil involved in Tuesday’s crash, provided an exclusive statement to the California Post.
“Airbus Helicopters confirms that an AS350 operated by Welk Aviation was involved in an accident on Sept. 15, in Chatsworth, California, while covering news for local television stations,” the company said.
“We offer our condolences to the families of those who died and to everyone impacted by this accident. Airbus Helicopters is assisting in the NTSB’s investigation.”
The manufacturer said more than 4,800 AS350/H125 helicopters are currently in service worldwide, with the fleet having logged approximately 40 million flight hours.
“As is standard for any ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further,” Airbus Helicopters said.
NTSB investigators visited the crash site Wednesday with representatives from the airframe and engine manufacturers. The NTSB said the manufacturers could receive components from the helicopter for a more extensive examination, including dismantling them down to their base.
FAA records show the aircraft carrying the news crew was a 2004 Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil registered as N358TV. Its registration remained valid through December 2028.
FAA maintenance records indicate the helicopter underwent a major repair and alteration involving its airframe in August 2023. The work included modifying a door, updating the equipment list and revising the aircraft’s weight and balance information.
Zoey Tur, a veteran helicopter pilot and former news reporter, said video of the crash appeared to show indications of an engine failure shortly before the helicopter went down.
“If you listen, you could hear the low rotor RPM annunciator horn going off. You could also hear the engine rev down,” Tur said.
“This was an engine failure, and slow response into entering an auto-rotation by PiC. No survivors,” Tur wrote. In a related post, she noted that she owned two similar helicopters.
The helicopter model has been involved in several other fatal crashes this year, including the midair collision that killed musician Oliver Tree.
