July 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.7

WORDS BY MICHAEL BARRON

WORDS BY MICHAEL BARRON Tragedy Over Houston Skies... Four years ago, The Houston Police Department had the unthinkable happen. For the first time in its nearly fifty-year history, they had a fatal crash of one of its many MD 500 Helicopters. Jason Knox, the tactical officer was killed and the pilot, Chase Cormier was severely injured. Jason was a loving father of two young children and a beautiful wife. His loss that night is still so hard to imagine. His father Mike Knox, A Houston City Councilman, says his son died doing what he loved, protecting his city, and flying with his best friend Chase. Cormier was a hero that night. His extraordinary skill as a pilot guided a virtually uncontrollable airship away from an apartment complex that surely would have suffered multiple casualties had the helicopter crashed on the roofs of occupied apartments. Cormier and Knox had been responding to call on the North side of Houston about a possible drowning near Greens Bayou. As they orbited near the bayou, the ship suddenly entered a spin and continued to spin until it 158 The Blues -- July ‘24 struck a small building alongside the apartment complex in the Greenspoint area. The Houston Fire Department and paramedics arrived on the scene and were able to extricate both pilots from the crumpled helicopter. Unfortunately, Knox’s injuries were just too severe and despite the extraordinary efforts of the doctors at Hermann Hospital, they were unable to save his life. That night, Cormier underwent the first of multiple surgeries that would ultimately save his life and one day, allow him to walk again. The official NTSB report reads as follows: On May 2, 2020, about 0203 central daylight time, a model 369E MD Helicopter, N8375F, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the other flight crewmember sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 public aircraft flight. According to initial information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a Houston Police Department

...and again in Huntington Beach. Then two years later, another MD 500 Helicopter crashed, this time a NOTAR 500N model. A Huntington Beach Police Department aviation unit flying patrol along the coast of Huntington Beach, experienced what some say, is a somewhat common trait of the NOTAR – instances of loss of tail rotor authority, or in this case NOTAR authority. Huntington Beach tactical flight officer Nicholas Vella and his partner were on a routine patrol down the beach front when then were dispatched to a fight in progress just south of their location. Once on scene, the pilot began orbiting the helicopter to the right to give Vella a better angle for the infrared camera to locate the suspects involved. At some point, the pilot slowed the ship and entered a tight turn when the helicopter entered a slow spin until then struck the water in almost horizontal position. The NTSB report filed reported the accident as follows: On February 19, 2022, about 1834 Pacific standard time, a McDonnell Douglas 500N, N521HB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Newport Beach, California. The pilot sustained minor injuries, and the tactical flight officer (TFO) was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a public aircraft flight by the Huntington Beach Police Department. The helicopter was owned by the City of Huntington Beach and was providing law enforcement air support under a contract service agreement for the City of Newport Beach. The helicopter departed its home base, Huntington Beach Police Department Heliport (CL65), in 1800, and for the next 30 minutes flew a routine patrol along the coast of Huntington Beach, inland to Costa Mesa, and then south to Newport Beach. The pilot reported that as they were about to depart the Newport Beach area, they received a transmission over the primary police radio channel that there was a fight taking place just south of their location. The pilot stated that he redirected the helicopter toward the area and began a right-hand orbit while the TFO (who was seated in the right seat) turned on the infrared camera and began searching the ground. The TFO spotted a group fighting, and the pilot began to maneuver the helicopter in a tighter right orbit while the TFO relayed his observations over the police radio channel. Ground patrol officers arrived on the scene, and the pilot continued the orbits about 500 ft above ground level, while simultaneously viewing the activity through his monitor, and maneuvering the helicopter so the TFO could continue to observe the altercation. The pilot stated that he watched as ground patrol officers got out of their car and approached the group, who by this time had mostly dispersed. He was concerned that one of the groups was about to start fighting with The Blues - July ‘24 159