Tennessee crash report: Helicopter’s tail rotor may not have had power

Emergency vehicles respond to the scene of a fatal helicopter crash, Monday, April 4, 2016, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. A sightseeing helicopter crashed near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, officials said. (Saul Young/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Emergency vehicles respond to the scene of a fatal helicopter crash, Monday, April 4, 2016, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. A sightseeing helicopter crashed near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, officials said. (Saul Young/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

By Associated Press April 11, 2016 2 min read

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – The tail rotor of a helicopter may not have had power at the moment the aircraft crashed into trees on the top of a ridge last week, killing the pilot and four people sightseeing near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to a preliminary report the National Transportation Safety Board released Monday.

The report lists some of the initial findings of the investigation without speculating on the cause of the crash.

The report found the Bell 206 had plenty of fuel and the weather was clear. The helicopter was current on inspections and had already gone on several flights that morning.

Another helicopter pilot in the area reported hearing no distress call, but an on-the-ground witness told investigators the helicopter “didn’t sound right” before the crash.

The witness saw the helicopter flying low in a descent, according to the report.