- Joined
- Nov 20, 2018
- Messages
- 3,852
“The pilot then requested a turn to the southwest (to intercept the 101) and Van Nuys approved. At 9:39 a.m. the pilot reported VFR and 1,500 feet. At 9:42 a.m., the pilot squawked ident with Socal Approach. At 9:43:58, Socal Approach informed the pilot that he was too low for flight following. Less than a minute later, at 9:44:22, Socal Approach unsuccessfully tried to reach the pilot. The pilot did not appear to issue any distress call.”He didn’t need special clearance to take off he was asking for a special vfr clearance which it seems to me ot was granted by ATC. That is not where the problem occurred.
when he approached the area that the helicopter crashed the pilot asked for flight following because the pilot knew the conditions were worse than he expected. In order for ATC to be able to track the flight on radar they needed the helicopter to be higher in altitude because the hilly terrain keeps the radar from being able to pick up the helicopter. ( this happens often when an aircraft asks for flight following but they’re too low to be picked up on radar ATC tells them they are unable to follow the flight due to them being below minimum for radar returns.) ATC then asks the pilots intentions.
I’m speculating but based off prior events it seems like the pilot made an effort to climb into IFR conditions for flight following and then that it where the engine problem occurred due to stress on the engine. Witnesses heard the sputtering of the engine before the nosedive into hilly terrain.
I do not think Kobe would be involved or consulted by the pilot with the decision making for that aircraft I believe the pilot called the shots. And it’s unfortunate what happened
“Data from Radarbox and Flightradar24 both suggest that the final moments of the flight were unstabilized, with the aircraft climbing rapidly from an altitude of 1,200 to 2,150 feet within 40 seconds at speeds ranging from 110 to 153 knots.”
From another article it was reported after climbing, the Flightradar24 data suggested the helicopter was descending 4,000 feet a minute .at 184 mph
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