UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATION OF AUGUST 5 SHASTA-TRINITY FOREST HELICOPTER CRASH

[NTSB Press Releases <NTSBPressReleases@xxxxxxxx>]

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                       NTSB ADVISORY
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

August 15, 2008

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UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATION OF THE AUGUST 5
SHASTA-TRINITY FOREST HELICOPTER CRASH 

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Washington, DC - The following is an update on the National 
Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the Shasta-
Trinity Forest helicopter crash near Weaverville, California 
on August 5, 2008, which killed 9 of the 13 persons aboard.

The helicopter was a Sikorsky S-61N, registration number 
N612AZ, manufactured in 1964.

The NTSB team has departed the Redding area.  A ten-member 
group, including investigators from the NTSB, the U.S. 
Forest Service, Sikorsky and General Electric, traveled to 
Portland, Oregon this week to examine the engines, which 
were flown there on Monday. That examination is on-going.

The helicopter had taken on fuel immediately before the 
sortie that included the accident flight.  Fuel samples from 
the truck that serviced the aircraft have been obtained and 
will be tested.

Interviews with firefighters who witnessed the accident have 
concluded.  They consistently reported that the helicopter 
lifted off slower than they would have expected before 
striking trees and crashing more than 100 yards from the 
lift off point.

The helicopter's cockpit voice recorder arrived at NTSB 
headquarters Saturday morning, August 9.  Upon examination, 
it was discovered that the solid state chips had been 
damaged by heat, and it was determined that the best way to 
try to extract information from the chips without further 
damaging them would be to use the facilities of the United 
Kingdom-based manufacturer, Penny and Giles.  Because officials 
of that company were unavailable to assist investigators 
this week, the recorder will be taken to England by an NTSB 
investigator next week.

The aircraft's maintenance records and records of the 
pilot's work history continue to be examined.  The captain 
had about 20,000 hours of total flight time and the first 
officer had 3,000 hours of civilian flight time.  

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NTSB Media Contact:	Ted Lopatkiewicz/Bridget Serchak
			(202) 314-6100




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