TALLINN 's Officials have not yet determined the cause of August's Copterline helicopter crash in the Tallinn Bay. Recent investigation results concluded that the aircraft's faulty steering system was to blame, however experts remain sceptical.
"The hydraulic booster or steering-system server has not been defined as the cause of the crash at present, but that cannot be ruled out," Tonu Ader, deputy chairman of the investigation committee, told the Baltic News Service.
The hydraulic server transfers the pilot's movements from the control panel to the copter's rotor blades, ultimately changing their angle. This, in turn, alters the aircraft's total lifting power.
Quirks in the steering system must be experimentally restored and tested, Ader explained, before any official conclusions can be made. However, there is no such equipment in Estonia, so the experiment must be carried out in the United States. This, Ader said, could take approximately one month.
The Copterline passenger Sikorsky S-76C+ crashed into the Bay of Tallinn on Aug. 10, a few minutes after takeoff. All those on board - 12 passengers and two crewmembers - were killed.
