The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) has determined that Thomas J. Stewart, who died along with his 5-year-old daughter, had allowed his daughter to sit on his lap in the co-pilot’s seat and she apparently kicked the flight controls which caused the crash. His wife an two others died in the trgic accident.
According to the NTSB accident report, the investigation into the crash that killed Services Group of America founder and owner, Stewart, lasted for nearly three years. The NTSB released its final probable cause report on November 7, 2012.
The NTSB report found that Stewart allowed 5-year-old Sydney Stewart to sit on his lap on a trip from a weekend at his northern Arizona ranch back to Scottsdale. The report concluded that it was “highly likely” that Sydney suddenly pushed down with her foot on the Eurocopter EC135’s collective, which controls the pitch of the helicopter’s main rotor blades. Either Stewart or his company pilot then quickly pulled the collective up, which made the blades bend enough to strike the tail rotor’s drive shaft assembly.
Services Group of America was based in Scottsdale, Arizona.