NTSB investigators were on the scene of the plane crash for several days following the 9/25 crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the fatal medical helicopter crash in Georgetown last month says the chopper was not equipped with a night vision imaging system, an autopilot or a terrain avoidance warning system.
The NTSB has recommended that the FAA require all three of those features on all medical helicopters.
The pilot, flight nurse and paramedic on board were killed in the crash.
The report also says there was no evidence of a malfunction of the chopper's engine, drivetrain or rotors before the crash, and there was no sign of an in-flight fire.
According to the report, the helicopter picked up a 10-year old girl in respiratory distress at Georgetown Memorial Hospital at 9:07 p.m. on September 25th and landed at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston around 20 minutes later. After refueling at the Charleston airport, the chopper took off for its base at the Horry County Airport in Conway.
The report says the helicopter went down about two miles southwest of the Georgetown county airport during moderate to heavy rain.
The report does not indicate what the NTSB thinks caused the crash. That information is expected to be released in the agency's final report which could take as many as 12 months to complete.
You can read the entire NTSB report on the crash by clicking here.
To read a companion story on Carolina LifeCare going back into service with a new chopper after the crash, click here.
