ATLANTA -- A new report from federal investigators indicates that two officers in an Atlanta police helicopter made no distress calls before the aircraft collided with wires atop a 42-foot power pole.
The preliminary report released late Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board sheds little light on what might have caused the chopper to plunge to the ground Nov. 3. The helicopter crashed near an intersection while searching for a missing child.
The pilot, 48-year-old Richard J. Halford; and 40-year-old tactical flight officer Shawn A. Smiley were killed in the crash.
The NTSB report states that the crew was not communicating with air traffic control at the time of the accident and no distress calls were noted. The NTSB says it will likely take several months before the full investigation is complete.
Associated Press