Pilot error was determined to be the probable cause of a helicopter crash that killed two on New Year’s Eve 2014 near Benson, according to a federal report.
The Bell helicopter, which was contracted to provide air support services to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, crashed near Interstate 10 outside of Benson. The pilot, Jeff Steele, 48, a retired Glendale police officer, and a mechanic, Marc Hansen, 59, who was a passenger and also licensed pilot, were killed in the crash. The two were civilian employees who lived in the Phoenix-area.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board concluded the pilot’s use of visual references while flying in bad weather that required the use of an instrument panel to navigate was the probable cause of the crash.
A cold front in the area produced rain, gusty winds, fog and low clouds and the helicopter crashed into the terrain seven miles west of Benson, states the report.
Investigators also found that the pilot’s “inadequate preflight planning” caused a failure to identify the “forecasted deteriorating weather conditions” along the flight route and that contributed to the crash.
On Wednesday in response to the report’s findings, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said in a statement: “Although any thorough investigation identifies facts surrounding an incident, as it should, we cannot overlook or change the fact that we all lost two great men who were dedicated to their country, their communities and to their work and families.”
“We miss Jeff and Marc and will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers now and in the future,” Dannels said.
The report, made public earlier this week, indicated the pilot appeared to be attempting to maneuver the helicopter out of the inclement weather into airspace that had better visibility when the aircraft collided with the ground, leaving behind a nearly 200-foot-long debris field. The report noted the helicopter crashed in flat terrain.
“Investigators did not find any evidence of mechanical anomaly or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter,” according to the NTSB report.
The helicopter was headed to Sierra Vista where it would go into service to provide air support to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.
The NTSB report said the helicopter followed Interstate-10 at about 300 feet above the ground, however, in the last few minutes of the flight descended to about 200 feet above ground level, before ascending to about 500 feet and drifting south of the interstate near where it crashed.
The helicopter was operated by Airwest Helicopters LLC and had flown from Glendale, where it had undergone a 100-hour inspection prior to flight. The NTSB said the company was contracted to provide about 30 hours of air service to the sheriff’s office each month.
Shortly before 7 p.m. Dec. 31, 2014, the sheriff’s office was notified that the leasing company had lost communications with the helicopter, designated “Cochise Air,” near the Benson area, said Carol Capas, a sheriff’s spokeswoman, at the time of the crash.
Witnesses told investigators they heard a low flying helicopter around the time of the crash and that the weather was cloudy and foggy with limited visibility, the NTSB report said.
The department’s search-and-rescue team, along with Benson Fire Department personnel, responded to the area in search of the helicopter. The rescue team traced the cell phone of the pilot, narrowing the search area, and Benson firefighters found the crash site, Capas said.
In January 2016, the sheriff’s office entered into a lease with another company for helicopter service for law enforcement and public safety missions. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation is covering the cost, said Capas.
