The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that pilot error was the cause of the 2017 helicopter crash that killed Troy Gentry.
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On Sept. 8, 2017, Gentry took a helicopter ride with a helicopter instructor in Medford, N.J. The helicopter crashed near the runway at the Flying W Airport and Resort killing both men on the aircraft.
According to the report, several minutes after the helicopter had taken flight, the pilot told the airport he was "unable to control engine rpm with throttle inputs."
The Tennesseean shared a portion of the report which reads: "The pilot's early entry into and failure to maintain rotor rpm during a forced landing autorotation after performing an engine shutdown in flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent...Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to properly rig the throttle control tie-rod assembly."
The pilot was not named by the NTSB.
In January, the Troy Gentry Foundation, a non-profit that financially supports organizations that aid in cancer research, assist military families in need and provide music education to kids, will officially launch. The Grand Ole Opry will host a benefit oncert honoring Gentry on Jan. 9 with proceeds going to the foundation, the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Opry Trust Fund and the Journey Home Project. The concert will also raise money for scholarships and musical instruments for schools in Gentry's home state of Kentucky. The concert, which will be hosted by Blake Shelton and Storme Warren of SIRIUSXM's The Highway, will feature performances from Jon Pardi, Dustin Lynch, Chris Janson, Halfway to Hazard, Eddie Montgomery, Justin Moore, Craig Morgan, Rascal Flatts and more.
Gentry rose to fame as one half of country duo Montgomery Gentry. The duo, made up of Gentry and Eddie Montgomery, released their debut album Tattoos and Scars in 1999 and went on to have several hits, including "Hillbilly Shoes," "She Couldn't Change Me," and "My Town."
