Was At The Controls During 2004 Fatal Crash In NC

The fatal 2004 downing of a Hughes 269A helicopter in North Carolina has led to manslaughter charges for the nonrated pilot who was at the controls.

Law officers in Franklin County, NC say 35-year old Benjamin Barrick was at the controls of the helicopter owned by his non-profit company, Netstar Air Rescue, when the helo went down in heavy woods near Louisburg in May 2004. Investigator's found the helo's tailboom separated from the aircraft during takeoff.

The crash killed 53-year old Deputy Ted Horton. Barrick had been deputized by Sheriff Jerry Jones so he could help the department on drug interdiction and search missions.

As Aero-News reported, Barrack was rated to fly fixed-wing aircraft, but he wasn't rated to fly helicopters.

In its probable cause ruling on the accident, investigators with the NTSB said Barrack's lack of familiarity with the helicopter was a contributing factor in the crash -- with the primary cause being the lack of structural integrity of the tailboom.

"The aircraft was represented as being in excellent condition," said Franklin County Commissioner Raymond Stone to Raleigh-Durham's ABC-11. "Our local mechanics say that it was not airworthy, so there's a big gap there."

Barrick has now asked for more time to get his defense ready. The case has been continued until August.

FMI: Read The NTSB Probable Cause Report