LOS ANGELES (AP) — A preliminary report on a fatal helicopter crash during production of a reality TV show north of Los Angeles says the craft suddenly pitched down and hit the ground about a minute after taking off in early morning darkness on Feb. 10.
The National Transportation Safety Board says the production crew on the ground was not filming at the time, but there was a camera operator aboard and a camera pointed at an actor in the left front seat. The recording devices were sent to NTSB headquarters for examination.
The pilot, camera operator and actor were killed in the 3:30 a.m. crash of the Bell 206B JetRanger at a remote site near Acton.
The helicopter was being used for scenes in which the actor dropped a backpack to the ground.
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