RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) – Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have released the preliminary report detailing the cause of the fatal helicopter crash on February 20 near the Ririe Reservoir. The crash killed Utah CEO and pilot Bradford Brown and injured his passenger, 61-year-old Steve Houghton from Texas.
Houghton told investigators he and Bradford had intended to fly over the Ririe Reservoir area to video a large herd of elk. According to the report, the 61-year-old passenger was seated in the rear of the helicopter cabin and secured by a harness, while the pilot occupied the front right seat.
According to the report, Houghton told investigators neither he nor Brown saw the power lines that spanned across the frozen reservoir until it was too late. The pilot attempted to “dive underneath” the power lines; However, the report indicates that the main rotor blades struck the lines and the helicopter collided with the frozen reservoir.
Houghton told NTSB investigators that he was able to exit the wreckage of the overturned helicopter on his own.
NTSB reports that an unnamed witness heard the crash and drove his snowmobile to where he could see the black helicopter on the frozen reservoir.
The aftermath of the crash left all major components attached to the helicopter except for the main rotor blades, which were widely disbursed around the main wreckage. The report also indicates that one of the three lower phase lines was fractured and was located on the frozen reservoir.
Local News 8 has included the complete NTSB report below:
