The pilot of a Lee County medical helicopter that crashed in North Captiva was unaware of the craft’s low altitude in the moments before the accident, according to a preliminary report by a federal investigator.
Pilot Diana Tackett and a pair of medics, David Duncan and Jason Ausman, escaped with light injuries after their MEDSTAR chopper hit the waters off Captiva Island en route to a medical emergency early on the morning of August 17.
The crash occurred some 800 yards from the island at 12:31 a.m.
The preliminary report, by the National Transportation Safety Board, suggests Tackett assumed the helicopter’s autopilot was activated after it had disengaged. It also indicates that the crew didn’t notice the helicopter descending until seconds before it hit the water.
