Troy Gentry’s Helicopter Pilot Reported ‘Mechanical Issues’ Prior to Crash
The pilot of the helicopter in which Montgomery Gentry's Troy Gentry was riding on Friday (Sept. 8) reported "mechanical issues" prior to crashing. According to 9-1-1 audio obtained by Blast, the helicopter hovered in the air for a few minutes, to give emergency personnel time to arrive before landing.
In the audio of the emergency dispatches made prior to and after the helicopter's crash, dispatchers can be heard explaining that the helicopter was "having mechanical issues" and was "still airborne." One dispatcher explains that the pilot had been hovering for a few minutes before making an emergency landing in hopes that the fire department would arrive.
"Chopper's crashed; we're responding," one person can be heard saying near the end of the audio. "In the field."
Country Artists Remember Troy Gentry
Gentry was killed on Friday afternoon after that helicopter crash, in Medford, N.J., at the Flying W Airport & Resort; Gentry and duo partner Eddie Montgomery -- who was not on board the helicopter -- were scheduled to perform at the Flying W on Friday night. According to reports, the helicopter crash took place around 12:30PM ET; Gentry was removed from the wreckage at the scene but was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Montgomery was at the airport when the helicopter crashed, along with members of their band, and they were taken to the hospital to see Gentry.
In addition to Gentry, the helicopter's pilot, James Evan Robinson, died in the crash. Crews worked for hours to remove his body from the wreck.
Gentry, who was 50 years old, and Montgomery signed to Columbia Nashville as Montgomery Gentry in 1999. Gentry leaves behind a wife and two daughters. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Montgomery Gentry Through the Years: 15 Memorable Moments