3 pm Update On Helicopter Crash

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - At 3:00 pm, the National Transportation Safety Board held a news conference updating the investigation into the Aero Med crash at Spectrum Hospital on Thursday.

The pilots are alert and investigators interviewed both the Aero Med pilot and the FAA inspector last night. The FAA inspector is from Grand Rapids, but investigators are not yet releasing his name.

The NTSB says the crash happened during a required six-month check ride. The pilot told investigators they had taken off from the airport and landed on the Spectrum helipad for a practice approach. They were on the helipad for about 3 minutes and the crash happened shortly after they lifted-off again to continue the training mission.

The pilot got about 30-50 feet off the pad when the pilot heard a "popping" noise. The chopper turned to the right and the pilot tried to correct, but when the blades hit a structure on the helipad the pilot could not gain control and the chopper crashed.

The NTSB says it's not clear when the helipad will reopen, or when the pilots may be available to the media to describe the dramatic escape from the burning helicopter.

The on-site investigation may take another 1-2 days, and the overall investigation could last up to a year.

Stay with NEWSCHANNEL 3 for the lastest information and updates on the crash and conditions of the pilots.