Helicopter that crashed near Miami dove into canal in ‘near vertical descent,’ report says
The helicopter that crashed into a canal in late December near Miami, killing a 71-year-old pilot and hospitalizing his daughter, broke into two with the tail landing hundreds of feet away from the fuselage, according to a recently released National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report.
Clement Zanzuri and his daughter, Jordan Ann Zanzuri, 27, took off from Miami Executive Airport around 10:30 a.m. Dec. 27 to drop off her brother at Page Field Airport near Fort Myers, she told NTSB investigators. After dropping off the brother, the Zanzuris were on the ground for about half an hour before they flew back to the Miami area.
“She further stated that the return flight was normal, and she did not notice anything,” the NTSB said in the report released Friday.
But when they were about two miles west of Miami Executive Airport, 12800 SW 145th Ave., the chopper “yawed to the right and then began spinning out of control.”
The chopper crashed into the canal “in a near vertical descent resulting in damage to the bottom of the helicopter,” the NTSB said.
READ MORE: Man died, woman rescued after helicopter plunged into Miami-Dade canal, officials say
The crash happened around 1 p.m. The daughter managed to swim to safety, the report said.
But her father was trapped inside his Hughes 369 helicopter; 911 calls and air traffic control audio from people who saw the helicopter crash describe the daughter as desperately trying to save the life of her father.
READ MORE: Woman helped find her father after helicopter crashed into canal near Miami, cops say
It is not known how long the pilot remained underwater, but Miami-Dade police have said county paramedics tried to resuscitate him before he was declared dead at Jackson Memorial South Trauma Center. His daughter was taken to the hospital.
The cause of the crash remains unknown but the day was clear, winds were 7 knots and the pilot could see up to 10 miles ahead, according to the report.
The chopper was found at the bottom of the canal at a depth of about 20 feet.
READ MORE: ‘I can’t find my dad’: 911 calls of fatal chopper crash near Miami tell painful story
About 450 feet from the main wreckage, investigators found the chopper’s tail boom, the part between the tail rotor and the fuselage, the NTSB said.
The engine, main rotor and main transmission remained attached to the aircraft. The chopper’s blades did not break but they exhibited “significant deformation.”
A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12 to 24 months.
