Pilot in deadly Iowa, LA helicopter crash had student license

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The man piloting a helicopter in a deadly crash was not authorized to fly without an instructor, a preliminary report from federal investigators revealed.

The Robinson R-44 II helicopter crashed north of Iowa around 9 p.m. on Nov. 1, killing its three occupants, pilot Jared Savant, his wife, Tanya, and their 2-year-old daughter, all of Kinder.

Jared Savant held a student pilot certificate, according to an initial review by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA had no record of Savant holding a medical certificate, which is required for a student to fly without an instructor.

Even with a medical certificate, student pilots are not allowed to carry passengers without an instructor.

Savant had logged about 139 hours of flight time, all in R-44 helicopters, including 15 hours at night, according to investigators.

A new report from the National Transportation Safety Board details the flight path leading up to the crash and the condition of the wreckage.

The helicopter, N62CD, took off from a private property in Kinder around 6:13 p.m., the report says. The helicopter flew southeast and climbed to 800 feet mean sea level.

Just before 6:30, Savant landed in a field near Pat’s of Henderson, a restaurant in Lake Charles. He took off again at 8:54 and flew northeast in the same path he had taken before, the report says.

At 9:01, the helicopter began making several changes in course and altitude.

Savant was flying around 1,300 feet mean sea level until a right turn, when his altitude decreased to around 1,050 feet then increased “abruptly” to around 1,500 feet, the report says.

At 9:04, the helicopter turned right to face south, then 38 seconds later began a gradual descent. It then completed two “irregular” 360° right turns, continuing to decline, the report says.

The final data point of the flight track shows the helicopter around 85 feet north of the crash site at an altitude of 200 feet at 9:06. The altitude at the crash site is around 18 feet.

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