Chatham Helicopter Crash Caused By 'Total Loss Of Power', NTSB Says

CHATHAM, NJ— A total loss of engine power was behind February's helicopter crash in Chatham, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board found.

The passenger, Paul W. Benson, 49, Woodcliff Lake, told investigators he heard a "woosh" sound before the engine shut off. A witness in a nearby apartment building said it sounded like the "engine [was] missing or puttering" over his roof.

Once the engine shut off, the pilot, John J. Walsh, 54, from Fort Lee, began an emergency maneuver to land the helicopter, the NTSB said.

Walsh was flying from Richmond, Virginia to Lincoln Park, New Jersey, when the helicopter crash landed behind 525 Main Street in Chatham, about 15 miles from his final destination. The NTSB said no flight plan had been filed.

The helicopter hit the roof of a garage before landing in a parking lot. The tail rotor separated from the body and the main rotor blades were bent down, the NTSB report said.

Walsh sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention at the scene. Benson was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

Image via Sarah Schwarz