July 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.7

Houston helicopter was

Houston helicopter was on a local flight near the George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH), near Houston, Texas, and its pilot had contacted air traffic control. The pilot was using flight following while he was conducting a search flight for a person near a bayou. A Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter contacted the controller, asked for clearance into the airspace near IAH, and was given that clearance. The DPS helicopter crewmember asked if the controller was still in contact with the police helicopter. The controller advised that radar contact was lost with the police helicopter. The DPS helicopter crew member advised that there was an indication that the helicopter had impacted terrain. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage site and documented it. The helicopter had impacted an unoccupied building and terrain. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further detailed examination. The helicopter was equipped with an augmented reality mapping system. The data recording device from that mapping system has been retained to see if it contains information pertinent to the accident flight. The pilot held an FAA commercial pilot certificate and a second-class medical certificate. At 0153, the recorded wind at IAH was 170° at 4 kts and visibility was 10 statute miles. According to United States Naval Observatory indications, the Moon had set, it was more than 30° below the horizon, and 160 The Blues - July ‘24 it provided no illumination at the time of the accident. According to a video taken by a witness, the helicopter rotated while in the air and descended. The conditions present in the video were consistent with the observatory indications. I spoke with Chase just before we published this issue. His most recent surgery was a huge success. Doctors had to replace all the pins, screws, and plates in his back from the original surgery two years ago. Despite doctors telling him he’d most likely never walk again; I am proud to report that he is in fact walking. Never tell a veteran that something is impossible. Cormier served his country and the citizens of Houston in a way no ordinary man could do. On a night when all odds were against him, he managed to save hundreds of innocent lives on the ground. He took command of a situation that ultimately cost his best friend his life and crippled himself in doing so. Cormier is the true definition of an American Hero. Houston will also remember what you did to protect its citizens. Godspeed to Jason Knox as he watches us from above and God Bless my friend Chase Cormier.

Huntington Beach slowed the helicopter to keep the camera aimed at the scene longer, so that they would not lose sight of it behind a building. Suddenly the helicopter yawed aggressively to the right, and he immediately applied full left foot pedal and forward cyclic to try and arrest the rotation, but there was no response. He continued to apply corrective control inputs, but the helicopter did not respond, and began to progress into a spinning descent. The TFO transmitted over the police radio channel, “We’re having some mechanical issues right now”, followed by, “we’re going down, we’re going down”. The pilot stated the rotation became more aggressive as the helicopter began to descend. He continued with corrective control inputs, which appeared to be partially effective but did not stop the rotation. He stated that the engine was operating throughout, and his goal was to continue to fly the helicopter with the engine still running, rather than reducing power and performing an autorotation to a populated area. Because it was dark, he had no horizon or accurate external reference, but he could see the lights of houses approaching, and sensed impact was imminent, so he pulled the collective control in an effort to bleed off airspeed. They then hit the water hard in a downward right rotation, on TFO’s side. The pilot recalled a sudden smash and saw water and glass coming toward him as the canopy shattered. He felt the rotor blades hitting the water, everything then stopped, and within a few seconds he was submerged. The pilot stated that he continued to hold on to the collective as a reference point, then cleared the mouthpiece from his rescue air bottle, and began to use it to breath. Continuing to hold the collective with one hand he reached down and released his seat harness and egressed by pushing himself away with the collective and through the door opening. He exited the helicopter and ascended to the surface, and a short time later, onlookers began to arrive, and pulled him away and toward a boat. Huntington Beach lost a hero that night. Officer Nicholas Vella The Blues - July ‘24 161