FREDERICK, Md. (AP) – The pilot of an airplane that collided with a helicopter in Frederick last month, killing three, told police his onboard collision-avoidance system didn't warn of the impending crash.
The Frederick News-Post reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1xxURRd ) that pilot Scott Graeves' statement is part of a Maryland State Police incident report.
The system is designed to automatically alert pilots to nearby aircraft that are similarly equipped with transponders emitting radio signals.
Graeves and his passenger survived the Oct. 23 collision between the single-engine airplane and a helicopter near Frederick Municipal Airport. All three occupants of the helicopter died.
The National Transportation Safety Board says an air traffic controller told the pilot that there were three helicopters below his descending plane. The pilot radioed that he saw two helicopters. The crash happened seconds later.
Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (AP Photo/The Frederick News-Post, Graham Cullen)
