Pilot of plane in deadly Chandler mid-air collision thought crash was bird strike

CHANDLER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — A new preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board details the moments leading up to a mid-air collision that killed two people earlier this month in Chandler. It says the pilot of the small plane involved thought they had hit birds and likely never saw other aircraft.

It was the morning of Oct. 1 when a Piper PA-28 181 airplane and a Robinson R22 helicopter collided mid-air near the Chandler Municipal Airport. The plane was able to land, but the helicopter crashed and caught on fire. Police previously confirmed to Arizona’s Family that the aircraft was being operated by Quantum Helicopters and Flight Operations Academy, both flight schools.

A preliminary report suggests that both aircraft were in contact with the air traffic control tower as they were traveling in parallel patterns, both circling from the south. The plane had been cleared to land, the report said. The helicopter was slightly below and behind the airplane as it was turning on approach when they collided. “The flight instructor believed they might have struck birds, advised the tower, and declared an emergency,” a portion of the report read.

The NTSB says the plane had asked ATC to look at the landing gearing. ATC confirmed they had landing gear extended and were cleared to land. The flight instructor reported that they had noticed that the left wing was still descending. After the plane touched down, it “veered left” and left the runway before coming to a rest between two runways. During that time, the NTSB says witnesses reported that a helicopter came down near the airport where first responders noticed the wreckage after a post-crash fire.

The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation. Remnants of both aircraft have been recovered and are being secured for further examination. The NTSB is expected to release its full report within the next year.

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