FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.—The lead official investigating the fatal crash of two medical helicopters said Thursday he’ll have a report ready sometime next week.
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Aaron Sauer said his team continues to gather information about two choppers that crashed Sunday.
Six people died in the fiery collision. A nurse is still in critical condition.
Sauer said his team continues to look at surveillance video, interview with witnesses and hospital staff to determine what happened before the choppers collided.
The engine control units from both aircraft also are being sent to the manufacturer in Hartford, Conn. to extract data about the helicopters’ altitude and speed.
On Wednesday, the NTSB team flew the same route as the two helicopters to see “what those crew members may or may not have seen,” Sauer said.
Earlier in the week, investigators picked through the wreckage. They found that the tail of one helicopter showed signs that it had been hit by a rotor blade.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Flagstaff collision was only the second mid-air crash involving a medical helicopter in the past 25 years, and the first that involved two medical aircraft.
One of the helicopters was operated by Air Methods from Englewood, Colo., and the other was from Classic Helicopters of Woods Cross, Utah.
