Drexel Hill Miracle: Mystery remains in cause of 2022 helicopter crash that left 3 adults, 1 infant injured
DREXEL HILL - Nearly two years to the day since a miracle in Drexel Hill occurred when four people, the pilot, two crew members and an infant, onboard a medical helicopter survived an ill-fated crash, new details about the life-saving efforts of the pilot and flight crew surface.
A final report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) includes hundreds of documents and maintenance records along with interviews of crew members and witnesses.
Although it doesn’t provide a cause of the crash, it does highlight heroic efforts to save the life of the baby girl as the chopper was going down.
Medical helicopter crash in Drexel Hill, Pa. leaves 4, including baby, with minor injuries
Four people, including a young child, escaped a medical helicopter crash in Drexel Hill Tuesday afternoon with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities announced shortly after the crash.
Federal Investigators released the final report which includes new photos of the medical helicopter crash outside a Drexel Hill church back in January 2022.
Miraculously, the pilot, a two-month-old patient, a medic and an in-flight nurse all survived, but after a two-year investigation, the NTSB says the cause of the crash is "unknown".
Eurocopter 135 was headed to CHOP from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania on a cold but otherwise clear afternoon, flying at 1500 feet when the trouble started.
About ten minutes from landing at CHOP, the helicopter made a hard right bank.
The in-flight nurse said there was "a loud bang, right bank and roll. Helicopter may have gone inverted."
The report also showed how the crew braced the infant patent for impact.
Both the medic and nurse were "pinned against the ceiling of the aircraft" as it was going down.
The report also included doorbell camera footage where you can hear the engine trouble of the chopper spiraling down.
Eyewitness Ron Chelsvig saw the helicopter "hit the ground".
"Every time I drive down that road it sends a shiver down my spine," said Chelsvig.
'I had God as my co-pilot': Medical helicopter pilot released from hospital after Drexel Hill crash
Daniel Moore, 52, was released from the hospital Sunday, days after a medical helicopter he was piloting fell from the sky - landing in Drexel Hill. Three others who were on board, including an infant, escaped serious injury.
Speaking with FOX 29 via FaceTime, he says initially he didn’t think anyone survived the crash, let alone everyone.
"I am grateful, when I heard the baby survived, and the pilot and the nurse, I mean I really broke down crying," he said.
The report also outlines how the flight crew evacuated the infant girl to safety in what many dubbed the ‘Drexel Hill Miracle.’
The 51-year-old pilot Danial Moore was the only one who suffered serious injuries.
A pilot for 27 years, he's credited with finding a clear space to land and avoiding people on the ground, but according to the report, he had no memory of the flight accident.
The little girl was eventually transported to CHOP by ambulance for care.
Since the report is considered final, we may never know what brought down that helicopter.