All signs certainly point to get-there-itis with an amateur pilot electing to fly when visibility is most likely below minimums. Combined with terrain and this is a classic case of controlled flight into terrain.Couldn't he have taken a car to practice instead of a helicopter on a foggy day?
I had a friend who was in the Marines and I happened to run into him shortly after he was promoted to O-6. When I offered my congrats he asked me if I knew the best thing about making “full bird.” As I was never in the military I told him no, to which he replied “It now takes someone with stars on their shoulders to order me onto a helicopter. You know God only grants us so many safe flights on a helicopter and nobody knows what their number is.”
All signs certainly point to get-there-itis with an amateur pilot electing to fly when visibility is most likely below minimums. Combined with terrain and this is a classic case of controlled flight into terrain.
Not ruling out mechanical at all, but rapid changes in altitude or thrust can mimic "sputtering." Though after a short review of N72EX's ADS-B returns, there was a rapid increase in altitude and decrease in ground speed right before the crash, which typically indicates the pilot was attempting an escape maneuver, e.g. they were low enough to come out of the fog bank and found themselves staring at terrain. Sadly this crash will most likely be added to the list of accidents that were 100% avoidable.Maybe. You may know more than me. But I have read of engine problems more than impatience or amateur pilot. I’m sure we will find out more.
Not ruling out mechanical at all, but rapid changes in altitude or thrust can mimic "sputtering." Though after a short review of N72EX's ADS-B returns, there was a rapid increase in altitude and decrease in ground speed right before the crash, which typically indicates the pilot was attempting an escape maneuver, e.g. they were low enough to come out of the fog bank and found themselves staring at terrain. Sadly this crash will be added to the list of accidents that were 100% avoidable.
Not ruling out mechanical at all, but rapid changes in altitude or thrust can mimic "sputtering." Though after a short review of N72EX's ADS-B returns, there was a rapid increase in altitude and decrease in ground speed right before the crash, which typically indicates the pilot was attempting an escape maneuver, e.g. they were low enough to come out of the fog bank and found themselves staring at terrain. Sadly this crash will most likely be added to the list of accidents that were 100% avoidable.
Is that why the debris field is so big. High speed impact?All signs certainly point to get-there-itis with an amateur pilot electing to fly when visibility is most likely below minimums. Combined with terrain and this is a classic case of controlled flight into terrain.
A friend of mine I grew up with was the pilot of the 53 that caught fire with all the journos onboard off the coast of CaliI was once on a joint exercise in S. Korea called Team Spirit. We had two helo’s crash on land.... one with troop deaths and another that lost hydraulics leaving a ship. The pilot tried to get it back down on deck but only hooked the front wheels. 18 Marines slid out the back and perished at sea. The Commandant grounded the entire fleet worldwide for thorough inspections. Once they were cleared commanders were threatening troops with the UCMJ to get them to board a helicopter. We were freaked out.
I flew on a bunch of them and can never say I was fully comfortable. I had many friends though who were pilots on 47’s and 53’s and they always seemed to like it.