WGBA -NTSB says pilot error caused Kenosha copter crash
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Associated Press - July 1, 2009 12:35 PM ET
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) - Federal officials say pilot error caused a helicopter to slam into a Kenosha house last year, killing the pilot and passenger but sparing the family of 5 inside.
A report by the National Transportation Safety Board says pilot Alan J. Sapko of Kenosha failed to maintain proper altitude. It also says he was an inexperienced nighttime flier.
The crash occurred last September, about an hour before sunrise. The National Weather Service says fog limited visibility to about one mile.
The NTSB says Sapko had logged 329 hours of total flight time in his career, including 37 hours of nighttime flying.
A Wisconsin State Patrol trooper told the agency he heard the helicopter at a "very low altitude" estimated at 500 feet.
On the Net:
NTSB probable-cause report: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?idCHI08FA293&rptfi
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
