*****NO DOUBT TO ME:******
*****PILOT ERROR******
*****ATC WILL ALSO ANSWER FOR IMPROPER READBACKS POSSIBLY*****
*****SOME QUESTION ON HAND OFF PROCEDURES THERE*****
MY PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE VIDEO BELOW:
THE CRASH OF HELICOPTER N72EX
I am a former PROFESSIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER and PILOT and have enough experience to give my PROFESSIONAL BUT UNFORTUNATELY UNOFFICIAL OPINION ON THIS CRASH. READ IT BELOW:
I am a former PROFESSIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER and PILOT and have enough experience to give my PROFESSIONAL BUT UNFORTUNATELY UNOFFICIAL OPINION ON THIS CRASH. READ IT BELOW:
LISTEN TO ATC COMMUNICATE WITH PILOT OF N72EX:
The News UNIT
11 minutes ago (edited)
THE PILOT HELD AT DARTS (OR AROUND THERE) AND THEN TRANSITIONED BUR OK BUT THEN DIDN'T READ BACK THE CLEARANCE TOO WELL FROM VNY AND THE HAND OFF TO SO CAL DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT WHAT THE HELL DOES "YOU'RE FOLLOWING A 1200 CODE" MEAN? WHY DID THE CONTROLLER FROM SO CAL TAKE THE HAND OFF IF HE WAS TOO LOW FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND ON A SVFR CLNC? I'M A FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SO I KNOW WHAT I'M LISTENING TO HERE IN GENERAL ALTHOUGH I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER....THE SO CAL CONTROLLER DOESN'T SOUND LIKE HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE HAND OFF AND IT SEEMS TO ME N2EX WAS ALREADY ON A DISCRETE CODE ALTHOUGH THEY PROBABLY HAVE A SOP ABOUT HELO OPERATIONS ALL OVER THIS AREA AND IT IS ROUTINE FOR ATC. I DO NOTICE AT THE END N2EX WAS DOING 140KTS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE GUY STARTED CLIMBING RAPIDLY LIKE A HOMESICK ANGEL AND PROBABLY KNEW HE WAS IN TROUBLE WITH TERRAIN AT THAT VERY MOMENT NOT ANSWERING SO CAL AND IN IMC CODITIONS. IT WAS MAJOR PILOT ERROR IMO. FOR A GUY THAT HAD ALL THAT EXPERIENCE HE WASN'T FLYING A HELO SMART. I'M ALSO A PILOT.
THEY CLAIM IT WILL TAKE THE NTSB 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR TO MAKE A REPORT ON THIS. I REQUEST DONALD TRUMP TO MAKE ME AN NTSB OFFICIAL AND HIRE ME BACK IN THE FAA TO REVAMP THAT KIND OF OPERATION. EVEN WITH THIS LIMITED DATA I KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
JUST A HUNCH: I BET KOBE COULD HAVE YELLED AT THE PILOT AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE "HEY MAN YOU'RE TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND GET OUT OF HERE NOW" KOBE PROBABLY SAW THE GROUND OUT THE SIDE WINDOW CLOSE AND AT THAT POINT THE PILOT STARTED CLIMBING RAPIDLY. WE WILL NEVER KNOW UNLESS CELL PHONES COULD PICK UP BACKGROUND CHATTER.
I'M NOT A HELO PILOT I'M AIRPLANE SINGLE AND MULTI-ENGINE LAND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE BUT I'M WONDERING IF THIS GUY ACTUALLY STALLED OR JUST HIT THE TERRAIN AT AROUND 2100 FEET MSL AND 110KTS
