13Investigators receive report on fatal military helicopter crash

13Investigates has obtained an Army report containing new information about the helicopter crash at the US-Mexico border in March that killed three people.

Two of these people are members of the National Guard Casey Frankoski, from Rensselaer and Johannes Grassia III from Rotterdam.

Jacob Prattalso from Rensselaer, is the only survivor and is still recovering from his injuries in the hospital.

The Army's investigation into the horrific crash is shedding light on the mission they were on – and the role each of them played aboard the helicopter.

NewsChannel 13's Tessa Bentulan obtained a heavily redacted version of the report early last week, but withheld the story out of respect for the families. The Army is visiting the families of Frankoski and Grassia to discuss and explain this investigation.

The 234-page report explains that it should be a routine, low-risk mission.

Grassia, Frankoski, Pratt and Chris Luna, a Customs and Border Protection agent from Texas, were aboard a UH-72A Lakota helicopter when it crashed in an open field in La Grulla, Texas, on March 8.

According to the report, the crew's mission was to assist Customs and Border Protection agents working along the border in the Rio Grande Valley.

Grassia was the pilot in command and responsible for flying the helicopter.

Frankoski was the pilot and helped fly the plane.

Their roles were similar to those of a pilot and co-pilot in an airplane.

They took off from South Texas International Airport in Edinburg at 1:48 p.m. and landed at McAllen International Airport at around 2:00 p.m.

The report says they had to pick up Luna from McAllen Airport for this mission.

Pratt served on board as crew chief and aircraft mechanic and was responsible for the maintenance of the helicopter.

At 14:05, the four-man crew was in the air as instructed, near La Grulla.

Almost two hours after the operation began, at around 3:45 p.m., the report said the helicopter made an “uncontrollable right turn and crashed.”

The impact destroyed the helicopter. Grassia, Frankoski and Luna died.

Pratt has undergone countless surgeries and is still recovering in the hospital six months later.

The crash may have been caused by a mechanical problem. The tail rotor on the rear of the helicopter appears to have been the problem. NewsChannel 13 could not determine for sure if this was the cause of the crash because this 234-page report is heavily redacted. The second page of this report mentions a problem with the helicopter's tail rotor.

On page 95, an instruction manual explains what can go wrong with a tail rotor during flight and how to fix the problem.

It states that problems caused by the tail rotor “continue to contribute to some accidents.” Frankoski and Grassia were both pilots on this helicopter mission.

The Department of the Air Force also describes the weather conditions on the day of the crash, March 8. According to the report, there were no thunderstorms, no icing, and no rain in sight.

The forecast predicted a low to moderate probability of turbulence, but visibility would be unrestricted, the report said.

The report says the assigned crew members were qualified to work in the helicopter. The report even includes the certifications and training Grassia and Frankoski both received as pilots. It also says they had to sign a document outlining the risks involved in the mission, which is standard procedure.
Within 30 seconds of the helicopter crash in La Grulla, Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported the crash and called for emergency assistance.

Grassia and Luna were pronounced dead at the scene. Pratt was still sitting in his seat and unable to move.

Frankoski was thrown from the helicopter. The report says she was found 50 feet from the aircraft but was still alive. It notes that she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, but it does not say for how long.

Frankoski was not wearing a seat belt. The rescue service first got the remaining crew members out of the helicopter.

Grassia, Pratt and Luna were captured first. They were taken to the road, near the accident site.

Emergency medical personnel examined Luna, but he had too many injuries to be able to perform life-saving measures, they said. Emergency medical personnel then began CPR on Grassia and Frankoski. Pratt was breathing on his own. An ambulance took him to a nearby hospital. Grassia did not respond to CPR.

Crews continued to work on Frankoski. She had a weak pulse, the report said. She was flown by helicopter to a Level 1 trauma center, but the attending physician pronounced her dead shortly after arrival.

The Army's investigation report puts the total cost of the crash at over $27 million. Of that, $5 million was for the helicopter and another $2 million for damages. Added to that are several million for the costs of the injured and more.