13Investigates has obtained a report from the Army that reveals new information on the helicopter crash that killed three people on the U.S.-Mexico border back in March.

Two of those people are National Guard members Casey Frankoski, of Rensselaer, and John Grassia III from Rotterdam.

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

The Army’s investigation into that horrific crash explains what mission they were on – and what roles they each played on board the helicopter.

NewsChannel 13’s Tessa Bentulan received a heavily redacted version of the report early last week, but held the story out of respect for the families. The Army is visiting the families of Frankoski and Grassia to go over and explain this investigation.

The 234-page report explains that this was supposed to be a routine and low-risk mission.  

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

The report states the crew’s mission was to help Customs and Border Protection employees working along the border in the Rio Grande Valley.

Grassia was the pilot in command and in charge of flying the helicopter.

Frankoski was the pilot and helped fly the aircraft.

Their roles were similar to that of a pilot and co-pilot on an airplane.

They flew out of South Texas International Airport in Edinburg at 1:48 p.m. and landed at McAllen International Airport around 2 p.m.

The report states they had to pick up Luna from McAllen airport for this mission.

Pratt’s position on board was crew chief and aircraft mechanic and responsible for maintenance on the helicopter.

At 2:05 p.m., the four-person crew was in the air, doing as they were instructed, near La Grulla.

Almost two hours into the mission at around 3:45 p.m. the report says the helicopter went into an “uncontrollable right-hand spin and crashed.”

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

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

The crash may have been caused by a mechanical issue. The tail rotor at the back of the helicopter looks to have been the problem. NewsChannel 13 has not been able to determine for certain if that’s the cause of the crash because this 234-page report is heavily redacted. It does mention an issue with the tail rotor on the helicopter on the second page of this report.

Then on page 95, an instruction manual explains what could go wrong with a tail rotor while in flight and how to fix the problem.

It states issues caused by the tail rotor “continue to be a contributing factor 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. It shows no thunderstorms, no icing and no rain in sight.

There was a light to moderate chance of turbulence in the forecast, but the report states visibility was unrestricted.

The report says the assigned crew members were qualified to work in the helicopter. The report even includes the certifications and trainings Grassia and Frankoski both received as pilots. It also said they must sign a document that outlines the risks associated with the mission, which is standard procedure.
within 30 seconds of the helicopter crash in La Grulla, Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported it and called for emergency help.

Grassia and Luna were declared dead on scene. Pratt was still in his seat, unable to move.

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

Frankoski was not wearing a seatbelt. EMS first prioritized getting the remaining crew members from the helicopter.

They first grabbed Grassia, Pratt and Luna. They were moved to the road, near where the crash happened.

EMS evaluated Luna, but he had too many injuries for them to try and perform life-saving measures, they said. First responders then started to perform 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 airlifted to a level one trauma center, but the attending physician declared her dead shortly after she arrived.

The Army’s investigation report lists the total cost of the crash over $27 million. That includes $5 million for the helicopter, and another $2 million in damages. That’s in addition to another few million for injury costs, and more.