PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio — A preliminary investigation report on the helicopter that crashed at the Mogadore Reservoir on March 14 has been released. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that at approximately 7 a.m., a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N262LH, was damaged and its pilot was killed when the helicopter crashed while conducting a personal flight. 

What You Need To Know

  • The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the Portage County helicopter crash earlier this month

  • The pilot was taking a personal flight and headed toward Portage County Airport to pick up a friend

  • Witnesses at Mogadore Reservoir said the craft was approximately 20 feet above the water

  • Ohio Edison said the power line hit was approximately 50 feet above the water's surface

The helicopter took off from Medina Municipal Airport in Medina, Ohio, around 6:15 a.m. before flying to Wadsworth Municipal Airport, in Wadsworth, Ohio to refuel. The pilot, identified by authorities as 52-year-old Anthony Jones, then proceeded toward Portage County Airport in Ravenna, Ohio, where he was planning to pick up a friend.

Following take-off from Wadsworth, the helicopter climbed to approximately 1,600 feet mean sea level and turned left on a track of about 070° for 15 nautical miles. When it was approaching the reservoir, the helicopter began a right 360° descending turn, then leveled off, and reestablished a northeast track before the data was lost. 

There were several witnesses near the accident site, including a person who was on a fishing boat in the reservoir. The witnesses said the helicopter passed low over the dam, at approximately 20 feet above the water before flying northeast over the water. Witnesses said it was still “very dark” when they saw the helicopter pass overhead. 

The craft then went into the power lines that ran perpendicular to its flight path, creating a large flash before it descended nose down into the river. 

NTSB said the helicopter came to rest in about 20 feet of water, approximately 200 feet from the north shore. The elevation at the site of the accident was about 1,080 feet. 

The utility company that owned the power lines, Ohio Edison, said the helicopter hit the top static wire which was about 50 feet above the water’s surface. 

Once the helicopter wreckage has been recovered from the river, it will be examined at a later date. 

The U.S. Naval Observatory said night lighting conditions existed at the time of the accident, with civil twilight and sunrise occurring at 7:10 a.m. and 7:37 a.m. respectively. NTSB did not travel to the scene of the accident to make the report.

Look at NTSB’s full report below: 

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