NTSB releases new info in Oak Island helicopter crash

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — We’re learning more about what happened in Oak Island when a helicopter crashed at the Cape Fear Regional Jetport.

The incident happened back in March and there was one minor injury. In a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot involved in the crash was a student pilot and the instructor was on the ground. The NTSB report said the student pilot was working on “pickups and set downs” at the jetport. The crash happened during the second attempt, the report said. The instructor told investigators she observed while the aircraft was between five and eight feet off the ground when the helicopter “yawned to the right” and ended up 270 degrees from its heading.

The report goes on to explain the helicopter bounced off the ground at least once before ending up on its side. The instructor then went into the cockpit to turn off the engine, the report said.

According to the flight instructor and FAA investigators on scene, there were no mechanical issues they noticed that could have led up to or caused the crash. The instructor said the pilot couldn’t recall details of the incident at the hospital.