Las Vegas: Federal regulators on Tuesday recommended that aircraft mechanics and inspectors get enough rest and use checklists to guide their work after a 13-month investigation of a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter crash that killed five people when a crucial bolt came loose.
"A checklist can be a crucial reminder and especially helpful when we are tired or distracted or new to a job," National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said after the five-member board reached its conclusions in Washington, D.C.
The board cited "inadequate maintenance" for the December 2011 crash of the Sundance Helicopters Inc. chopper during a scenic twilight tour of Hoover Dam and the Lake Mead reservoir on the Colorado River. Investigators found a crucial bolt may have been reused too many times and improperly installed, with the mistake not found during inspections.
Sundance CEO Bob Engelbrecht issued a statement Tuesday promising to study the NTSB report, review the board findings and recommendations, and "look to further improve our processes and procedures."
Killed were a honeymooning couple from India, Lovish Bhanot, 28, of Gurgaon, and Anupama Bhola, 26, of New Delhi; a couple from Utica, Kan., who were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, Delwin and Tamara Chapman, both 49; and the pilot, Landon Nield, 31.
29/01/13 Hutchnews.com
