Novant Health's Medical Helicopter Crash Linked to Pilot's Night Vision Goggle Incident

A medical helicopter operated by Novant Health experienced a catastrophic crash in February due to the pilot's night vision goggles falling off during flight.

The incident, which occurred at approximately 7:45 p.m. on February 24th near the Pender/New Hanover County line, resulted in serious injuries to the crew, including broken legs for both the pilot and a paramedic.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report highlighted that while the EC135 Airlink helicopter was on auto-pilot at about 1,000 feet, the dislodged goggles led to a rapid descent and crash as the pilot attempted to recover them. The final investigative report is expected to take over a year to complete, which will provide further insights into the accident and potential safety protocol enhancements.