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Helicopter Fuel Contaminated

Investigators Unsure of Cause of Crash

Investigators still do not know whether thehelicopter's transmission indicator lit up beforethe crash.

A light on the indicator would mean that piecesof transmission gears may have begun to clog thehelicopter's motor in the crucial moments beforethe pilot lost control.

But according to The Associated Press, apreliminary report by the NTSB confirmed that thehelicopter's flight controls and transmission wereworking properly before the crash. The report alsosaid that witnesses saw a puff of smoke comingfrom the helicopter in its descent.

Criminal Investigation?

Anonymous sources told the Boston Herald thatthe Middlesex Country district attorney's officeis ready to begin a criminal investigation intothe fuel contamination.

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But a spokesperson at the office said thatDistrict Attorney Thomas Reilly declined tocomment, and Jones would not comment on thedistrict attorney's involvement in theinvestigation.

Jones said that if the investigators foundevidence of criminal activity behind the crash,the investigation would be turned over to thedistrict attorney's office.

Helicopter flight and maintenance personnelwould be the only ones in a position to tamperwith the fuel, Jones said, although authoritiesare considering whether outside individuals mayalso have had access.

There were two places where the helicoptercould have received its fuel, Jones said, thestate police flight wing's offices in Norwood andanother fuel center in the area.

Jones said yesterday that he personally has notseen any incidents of sabotage through fuelcontamination in the 300-plus plane crashes he hasinvestigated in his 15-year career. But he saidthat finding fuel contamination as the cause ofaccidents is "nothing new" to the NTSB.

Jones said authorities are still investigatingwhether the problem is one intrinsic to this modelof helicopter.

"We want to make sure other helicopters aresafe," Jones said. "We're looking at the history[of the helicopter]."

The Eurocopter A350B has been involved in 63accidents in the United States, killing 57on-board passengers, according to NTSB records,and averages 3.5 accidents per 100,000 hours offlight.

Jones also dismissed assertions in The BostonHerald's article that Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) had been asked to withdrawfrom the probe several weeks ago and thenreinstated several hours later.

He said that the FAA never left theinvestigation and praised the cooperation betweenthe agencies.

The NTSB is leading the federal investigation,which also includes the FAA, the MassachusettsAeronautics Commission, the state police andEurocopter and Turbomecha, the manufacturers ofthe helicopter and the engine

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