NTSB Report Blames Faulty Engine for Troy Gentry Helicopter Accident

The NTSB has reported that the pilot "was unable to control engine rpm with throttle inputs."

Written by Lauren Laffer
NTSB Report Blames Faulty Engine for Troy Gentry Helicopter Accident
Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry; Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Outback Concerts

In an initial accident report regarding the helicopter crash that took Montgomery Gentry’s Troy Gentry’s life, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) deemed that a faulty engine was to blame. The pilot reportedly “was unable to control engine rpm with throttle inputs” during the ride.

In a report obtained by TMZ, the NTSB revealed that the pilot lost control of the aircraft when the engine would not respond to throttle inputs. The publication says that the pilot decided to stop the engine and perform an autorotation as a result. The main rotor is supposed to turn with or without power and glide the chopper to the ground, but tragically, it failed to do so. The pilot attempted the autorotation when the helicopter was approximately 950 feet in the air.

The NTSB report also went into detail about the pilot’s calls for help as he tried to hover until emergency crews arrived. Unfortunately, the situation was too dire to wait, so he attempted the autorotation.

Gentry had decided to take a spin on the helicopter on a “spur of the moment” whim, the NTSB’s senior air safety investigator Brian Rayner said. He was scheduled to play a show at the Flying W Airport and Resort in Medford, where the accident occurred, on Friday.

“The day started with such excitement as the Montgomery Gentry bus rolled through our gates. The nicest people got off the bus and joined us on the ramp for what we hoped would be the best concert we have ever had. Sadly this was not to be,” the Flying W said in a statement. “Instead the day turned to tragedy as a helicopter accident took the lives of the pilot and Mr. Gentry. No words can describe the sadness that the Flying W employees feel for the families.”

The life and legacy of Troy Gentry will be celebrated with a public ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry on Thursday, Sept. 14, with a private family internment to follow. The service will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend, via opry.com/troy-gentry.