The pilots were David Jude, 57, and Geoff Painter, 52, longtime associates of Cline. The preliminary report, released Wednesday, is part of the agency's ongoing investigation into the crash, which killed Cline, his daughter Kameron and five other passengers on July 4. He then heard a ‘whoosh whoosh whoosh’ sound, and lost sight of the helicopter, which was followed by the sound of an impact.” They began a search and found the helicopter around 4:30, inverted in 16 feet of water, a mile northeast of where they departed, with the tailboom separated from the aft fuselage and broken into pieces. They will continue to evaluate the flight recorder and wreckage, with a final report including probable cause completed within two years.Tracking energy innovators from Houston, Texas. The NTSB was asked to help investigate the crash by Bahamian authorities. CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The helicopter carrying coal billionaire Chris Cline began spinning before it plunged into the ocean near the Bahamas and killed everyone on board, federal authorities said Tuesday.The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report details the July 4 accident and its aftermath but doesn't include a cause. Forbes reporter since 1999. © 2020 NEWS CENTER Maine.

Cline, his daughter Kameron and three of her friends died along with a pilot and copilot in the crash off Cline's private Big Grand Cay island.The aircraft was leaving the island to take two passengers to Florida for medical treatment, the NTSB said.A witness saw the helicopter rotate to the left three to four times, followed by whooshing noises and the sound of an impact, the report said. It arrived at Big Grand Cay around 1:40 a.m. Because it was the middle of the night and too dark to see, the pilots were flying by “instrument flight rules.” Another witness reported seeing the helicopter lift off, climb about 50 feet, “then shortly thereafter, he noted blue and white lights spinning to the left at a rate of about 1 to 2 seconds between rotations while descending.” The victims were Cline’s daughter Kameron, 22, and her friends Brittney Searson, 21, and Jillian Clarke, 22 (all sorority sisters at LSU) as well as Delaney Wykle, 23, of Cline’s hometown of Beckley, West Virginia. The helicopter was found inverted in 16 feet of water near Cline's personal island retreat. It was found upside-down in about 16 feet (5 meters) of water with its rotor blades separated. NTSB Releases Preliminary Report From Bahamas Helicopter Accident Aircraft Went Down In The Atlantic Ocean Near Big Grand Cay, Abaco, Bahamas The … The copter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on July 4 near Big …

— The helicopter carrying coal billionaire Chris Cline began spinning before it plunged into the ocean near the Bahamas and killed everyone on board, federal authorities said Tuesday. A witness “estimated that the helicopter rotated to the left three to four times. All of chopper’s main and tail blades had become separated from their rotors, “and one tail blade was not recovered," says the report, released today. The helicopter had taken off from Palm Beach International Airport about 1 a.m., with a pilot and copilot. (Krystel According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, coal billionaire Chris Cline was killed at 2 a.m. July 4 with six others when the Agusta AW139 helicopter they were in crashed upon takeoff from Big Grand Cay in the Bahamas. He accumulated a $1.8 billion fortune from a career that he began years ago as a coal miner in southern West Virginia. All Rights Reserved. Investigators brought it to a secure site in the United States.Flight and data recorders have been recovered and shipped to the NTSB in Washington for analysis, the Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Department has said.Cline's death led to eulogies from coal industry leaders, government officials and academics, who described him as a visionary and generous philanthropist.

The report says a witness saw the helicopter rotate to the left three to four times, followed by a whooshing noise and the sound of an impact.

NTSB report: Helicopter spun out before deadly Bahamas crash | newscentermaine.com The National Transportation Safety Board has released the preliminary report detailing the July 4th crash that killed a West Virginia coal tycoon and six others. Daughter's Sorority Sisters Among 7 Dead In Billionaire Chris Cline Helicopter Crash After liftoff, in clear but dark skies, the helicopter began spinning out of control. The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on the helicopter crash that killed seven people earlier this month, including billionaire and North Palm Beach resident Chris Cline. According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, coal billionaire Chris Cline was killed at 2 a.m. July 4 with six others … Cline bought Big Grand Cay in 2014.The full investigation into the crash could take up to two years, a NTSB spokesman said earlier this month.Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings.The National Transportation Safety Board has released the preliminary report detailing the July 4th crash that killed a West Virginia coal tycoon and six others.In this Sept. 6, 2014 photo, Chris Cline speaks as Marshall University dedicates the new indoor practice facility as the Chris Cline Athletic Complex in Huntington, W.Va. According to a prelinary report from investigators of the NTSB, the chopper had been summoned to transport two of the passengers to Fort Lauderdale for medical treatment. It was …