The helicopter crash that killed a New York businessman in an upstate swamp last month was caused by a wasp’s nest that had clogged one of the helicopter’s fuel tubes, according to investigators.
Gary Johnson — a 65-year-old dad who owned a gas station and auto-body shop as well as multiple commercial and rental properties — was killed in the July 27 crash, which occurred near West Carthage about 70 miles north of Syracuse.
Johnson, the pilot and only person aboard the doomed craft, was found gravely injured after the Schweizer 269C chopper he was flying went down around 2:45 p.m.
He was taken to Carthage Area Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board said its preliminary investigation found that fuel had flowed sporadically to the copter’s metal fuel tank, according to WWNY.
They ended up flushing debris from the tank’s fuel tubes — and discovered one of the lines had been clogged by material consistent with a wasp’s nest.
The helicopter had not been flown in the three weeks before the crash, one of Johnson’s brothers told investigators.
Johnson had a private pilot’s certificate for a single-engine airplane but not a license for a helicopter, according to the outlet.
