5 minutes ago, DJJose said:

I'm just angry and wondering when are Pilot's going to stop forgetting the fundamentals. This should have been avoided.

Do you already know what exactly has happened?

5 minutes ago, FDEdev said:

Do you already know what exactly has happened?

Absolutely not!

But based on some preliminary info:

Special VFR with a celebrity on board.

Bad weather.

On a holding pattern

Too low.

Got to get there.

The PIC is responsible for the safety of the flight.

The list goes on, so I can only conclude PIC error.

A tragic loss, very sad day. Hearts go out to all the families.

 

 

1 hour ago, DJJose said:

Bad weather. Too low. The list goes on, so I can only conclude PIC error.

Too low for what? A long list with 100% speculation and not a single important fact. Don't know how often you have flown a helo in bad weather, but that's one of the great advantages of a helicopter, if weather gets really bad you simply slow down. If it gets worse, you land. 

IMO definitely the wrong time to blame the pilot.

Edited January 27, 20206 yr by FDEdev

Do helicopters have a Black Box like airliners? Very curious to know why it happened. Sad for the lost lives.

24 minutes ago, FDEdev said:

Too low for what? A long list with 100% speculation and not a single important fact. Don't know how often you have flown a helo in bad weather, but that's one of the great advantages of a helicopter, if weather gets really bad you simply slow down. If it gets worse, you land. 

IMO definitely the wrong time to blame the pilot.

Maybe I'm still in disbelief. Kobe should still be alive!

Let's wait to see what the final report says then we can come back to this thread and see if it's 100% speculation.

ADM & CRM is a subject often neglected in the real world of Aviation. Maybe it's the right time to finally give it the attention that it deserves.

2 hours ago, DJJose said:

Kobe Bryant was MJ in HD.

I'm just angry and wondering when are Pilot's going to stop forgetting the fundamentals. This should have been avoided.

Feeling somewhat the same, although I am holding my judgements close until we have more facts. If he was such a skilled IFR pilot, why would he not file IFR in such conditions? Plenty of other questions beyond that one too...but I'm so sad over this that my grief overwhelms my anger, for now.

May they all RIP.

Greg

Found this N72EX: Last 2 minutes helicopter communications with ATC. (Audio From Air Plus News via twitter)

May all involved RIP

Edited January 27, 20206 yr by RamonB

eye witness... seems to have some knowledge of aviation....

https://youtu.be/28QYy8lrww8

It's looking more like a scud running flight that turned into the classic CFIT.

 

Edited January 27, 20206 yr by DJJose

This was a fatal case of "get there ites."  Too bad!

 

James M Driskell

5 hours ago, DJJose said:

Absolutely not!

But based on some preliminary info:

Special VFR with a celebrity on board.

Bad weather.

On a holding pattern

Too low.

Got to get there.

The PIC is responsible for the safety of the flight.

The list goes on, so I can only conclude PIC error.

You sir get the award for this year's best armchair QB!

 

Juan Brown will post up more facts when he has them. Another tragic accident.

Even if  someone is instrument rated, can they safely hover a heli in IMC with NO external reference points? Is the avionic suite on a CIVIL heli up to the job of accounting for slow drifting in all 3 planes and relaying that to the pilot who is trying to balance a bowling ball on a tennis ball, figuratively speaking, as well-appointed as the S76 is? OR.. can the S76 have an auto hover system fitted? If so, then did this particular machine have that? If yes, then why was it not utilised? Just curious - as we all are I guess.

We should have proper answers in the fullness of time.

We are all fortunate in that we are sitting comfortably in front of our PCs with the benefit of hindsight, but perhaps the pilot(s?) should have said sorry, NO GO..

2 hours ago, IAhawkeyeDDS said:

eye witness... seems to have some knowledge of aviation....

More like an "Ear-witness" as the chap said he could not see the heli. Despite him not seeing anything he was a good help to the emergency services - knowledgeable layman or a real pilot of some sort (and a sound engineer - useful under the circumstances).

1 hour ago, ahsmatt7 said:

You sir get the award for this year's best armchair QB!

 

Thank you. I've always wanted an award in something.

I don’t think it’s been mentioned but there’s always the possibility that the pilot had become incapacitated in some form. Perhaps he had a heart attack or died unexpectedly, it’s happened and there wasn’t a copilot on board.

I think I’d read that he was climbing to 2400’ then for what ever reason, nosed over down to 1400’ into the side of the hill. 

Also that “b” model he was flying from what I understand is a pretty capable helicopter and wouldn’t surprise me if it had some of the best and latest avionics. Not to mention that according to his peers, he was an experienced and capable pilot. Of course mistakes can happen to even the most capable, so it’s really hard to conceive what happened. Considering he’s been flying that area for a long time and is aware of the terrain, I don’t suspect it to be pilot error but we’ll have to wait and see what the investigation turns up.