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NTSB: Smoke seen from Duke Life Flight before crash

Witnesses reported seeing a trail of dark smoke coming from a Duke Life Flight medical helicopter before it crashed in northeast North Carolina almost two weeks ago, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

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Duke Life Flight crash
BELVIDERE, N.C. — Witnesses reported seeing a trail of dark smoke coming from a Duke Life Flight medical helicopter before it crashed in northeast North Carolina almost two weeks ago, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The helicopter, which was based at Johnston Regional Airport in Smithfield, was en route to Duke University Hospital in Durham from Sentara Albemarle Medical Center in Elizabeth City on Sept. 8 when it went down in a grassy field outside the town of Belvidere, south of the Perquimans-Gates county line, officials said.

Pilot Jeff Burke, flight nurses Kris Harrison and Crystal Sollinger and patient Mary Bartlett were killed.

In addition to the smoke, one witness reported hearing a popping noise before the helicopter turned left, then right and then descended quickly, the NTSB report states. Another witness said it appeared the helicopter was hovering and not moving forward before it went down, the report states.

Investigators said none of the main or tail rotor blades showed any "leading edge damage," and neither engine appeared to have been damaged by a foreign object, according to the report. But neither the transmission to the tail rotor shaft nor the No. 2 engine gas generator would move when investigators tried to turn them by hand.

"The No. 2 engine rear turbine shaft bearing exhibited discoloration consistent with overheating and lack of lubrication. The bearing roller pins were worn down to the surface of the bearing race. The end of the turbine shaft aft of the nut exhibited rotational nonuniform damage," the report states.

The helicopter had its last scheduled maintenance a week before the crash, according to the report.

Data transmission from the helicopter ended nine minutes after takeoff, when the aircraft was at an altitude of 1,200 feet, according to the report. The memory device in the data recorder was recovered and sent to an NTSB lab for analysis.

Duke University Hospital has grounded its remaining Life Flight helicopter until further notice.

"We don’t know anything more at this time than what appears in this initial assessment," Duke Hospital President Kevin Sowers said in a statement. "We will continue to cooperate fully with NTSB, as we have since the crash. The NTSB and its team of investigators have much work ahead in the coming months to more fully understand the circumstances related to this tragic event."

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