Pilot error is to blame for a helicopter crash that
killed country-music star Troy Gentry last year, the National Transportation Safety Board made public Tuesday.
Gentry, 50, and his pilot died in the Sept. 8 crash in Medford, New Jersey. The pair were on board the aircraft when it crashed near the runway of the Flying W Airport & Resort, a small airport and entertainment area.
Eddie Mongtomery, the other half of the duo, was at the airport waiting for Gentry to arrive when the crash occurred, the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported.
According to the two-page report, several minutes after takeoff, the pilot reported to the airport he was "unable to control engine rpm with throttle inputs."
"The pilot's early entry into and failure to maintain rotor rpm during a forced landing autorotation after performing an engine shutdown in flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent," the report reads. "Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to properly rig the throttle control tie-rod assembly."
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