One point about the the autopilot, it requires a minimum forward speed,
which I believe was about 60 knots. I believe he went below that at one
point just before the turn, climb and then decent. He was only 50-100
feet below the reported tops when the decent and increase in speed
started with the turn. The climb was a reducing speed. It's possible
that his instruments started giving him bad data as the speed bled
off. Forward velocity was required with his instruments.
On 2/24/20 10:03 AM, ch...@wbmfg.com wrote:
OK, so I am bored. Hit delete.
The pilot of the helicopter is getting trashed because he asked for
SVFR (special VFR) and got denied on a prior flight. He proceeded anyway.
On the crash flight he asked for VFR flight following. They denied it
due to his altitude. I have had that happen to me dozens of times.
It does not indicate anything other than radar can only see so low.
91.155
A helicopter may be operated clear of clouds if operated at a speed
that allows the pilot adequate opportunity to see any air traffic or
obstruction in time to avoid a collision.
91.157
This part allows helicopters to fly SVFR even when flight visibility
is below 1 statute mile when required for other aircraft.
This part also allows helicopters to operate SVFR at night while other
aircraft would have to be IFR certified with an instrument rated pilot.
This part allows helicopters to take off or land a helicopter even
when the ground visibility is below 1 statute mile.
On the prior flight people are using to claim he was a bad pilot, he
was proceeding low and slow as allowed but he was in a particular area
of controlled airspace that required permission to do so. Not that it
was reckless or dangerous.
His only other option was trying to file what is called a “pop up” IFR
flight plan. I have had to do that before when the weather changed.
It is a pain, takes some radio time to do but it is a legal way
forward. Or he could have found a place to land perhaps. He got
busted doing what was probably the safest, but not legal, thing to do.
I don’t think this calls his skills into question.
The ship was flying but doing a rapid turning descent for some time
before the crash.
Either he got really bad vertigo or he was attempting to autorotate
due to a mechanical failure.
I don’t think he got vertigo. When you are in the clouds you use the
autopilot if you have one. He had one.
He was a high time IFR rated pilot.
If you hit clouds you mind switches to using the instruments and
getting yourself out of trouble or staying out of trouble. .
This was a Sikorsky S-76B Very large helicopter. Has an auto pilot
and almost certainly had an auto hover feature due to the fact that it
was used for search and rescue in a prior life. You can simply stop
them and hover if you find yourself uncertain of your position.
Maybe he had a heart attack.
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