What we know about the license status of pilot, helicopter in North Perry crash
Federal aviation officials have not confirmed whether a pilot involved in a helicopter crash at North Perry Airport earlier this month was allowed to fly that aircraft.
Marcelo Andrade, identified in a Pembroke Pines police incident report as the pilot of the Robinson R44 helicopter that crashed June 13, could not be located in the Federal Aviation Administration’s airmen database with his name.
The FAA did not respond to questions by the time of publication about whether Andrade holds a pilot license and whether he was authorized to operate sightseeing flights in that specific helicopter.
Andrade is the co-owner of Sky Helicopter Tour, operated by SkySafe Aviation LLC out of North Perry. Billy Costa, listed as the other manager of the business, told the Pembroke Pines News on June 22 he had no information to disclose about the crash, as he was not at the scene.
He confirmed he is Andrade’s business partner but did not answer questions about Andrade’s pilot license status.
The company’s website says all flights are “conducted by FAA-certified pilots and maintained under the strict supervision of M&B Aircraft Maintenance Center LLC, an authorized Robinson Service Center.”
The Robinson R44 helicopter attempted to take flight at around 11:20 a.m. on June 13 from the Pembroke Pines airport.
Andrade’s passengers were a man and his two minor stepdaughters taking a tour as part of an anniversary outing, after the dad’s wife and two other children had completed a separate sightseeing flight, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported June 17.
The helicopter, wearing the identification number N336SG, is listed in the FAA registry records under the “Agriculture and Pest Control” category, according to the Miami Herald.
The FAA referred the Herald’s questions about whether the aircraft could carry passengers to federal rules governing restricted category civil aircraft, which generally prohibits carrying passengers for compensation or hire, with limited exceptions.
Andrade told Pembroke Pines police at the scene of the crash that the helicopter’s cyclic control, the primary flight control used to maneuver the helicopter, became “extremely hard to operate” shortly after takeoff and gaining altitude.
“He reported that the helicopter veered to the right and subsequently crashed into the ground and collided with a parked aircraft,” the incident report reads.
Andrade and the three passengers sustained minor injuries, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, although the family members were hospitalized as trauma patients. The report also said the pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions during a previous flight.
Video footage reviewed by the NTSB showed the helicopter lifting from the ground with “nose low attitude,” before drifting left and then right.
Its right skid struck the ground, causing the craft to exceed its “critical roll angle” and go into what investigators described as a “dynamic rollover.”
The NTSB investigation can take about 12 to 24 months, the organization told the Pembroke Pines News.
“The information being collected is not releasable at this time. It may be included in the public docket and released once the docket is opened,” the board said in an email response.
