Engine damage was found in the wreckage of the WNBC/Channel 4 news helicopter that crashed in Brooklyn last week, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said yesterday.
It’s unclear whether the damage occurred before or after the chopper crashed.
The engine’s compressor “was seized, and gouges were observed on the compressor blades,” said the preliminary NTSB report on the crash. Also, metal particles were found on magnets designed to collect debris flying from the engine, the report said, and a shield to prevent engine parts from flying off was dented.
What caused the damage is a mystery – and NTSB officials warn they are far from determining the cause of the May 4 crash. “The preliminary report just gives out factual details,” said Lauren Peduzzi, an agency spokesman.
The crash injured Chopper 4’s pilot, co-pilot and passenger. Before the craft went down, the pilot, Russ Mowry, radioed to controllers that the craft experienced “tail rotor failure.”