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 tells us 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.

At 1:48 p.m., they flew out of South Texas International Airport in Edinburg 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 report also gives a glimpse into what may have caused the helicopter crash. That part of the story is coming up on NewsChannel 13 Live at 5.