NTSB: Pilot's texting contributed to copter crash

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By JOAN LOWY

WASHINGTON (AP) - Texting by the pilot of a medical helicopter contributed to a crash that killed four people, federal accident investigators declared Tuesday, and they approved a safety alert cautioning all pilots against using cellphones or other distracting devices during critical operations.

It was the first fatal commercial aircraft accident investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board in which texting has been implicated. And it underscored the board's worries that distractions from electronic devices are a growing factor in incidents across all modes of transportation - planes, trains, cars, trucks and even ships.

While no U.S. airline crashes have been tied to electronic device use, the Federal Aviation Administration in January proposed regulations prohibiting airline flight crews from using cellphones and other wireless devices while a plane is in operation. The regulations are required under a law passed last year by Congress in response to an October 2010 incident in which two Northwest Airlines pilots overflew their destination of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by 100 miles while they were engrossed in working on their laptops.

Regulations already in place prohibit airline pilots from engaging in potentially distracting activities during critical phases of flight such as takeoffs, landings and taxiing. In some cases, however, pilots are allowed to use tablet computers containing safety and navigation procedures known as "electronic flight bags," replacing paper documents.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130409/DA5I8AG00.html

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This photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed near Mosby, Mo., on Aug. 26, 2011. The pilot of an emergency medical helicopter may have been distracted by text messages when he failed to refuel his helicopter and misjudged how far he could fly before running out of fuel. The helicopter crashed, killing the pilot and three others on board. Government investigators are expected to point the case as another example of the distracting role cellphones and other electronic devices are playing in transportation accidents. (AP Photo/NTSB)

[markpkessinger]

1. The article conflates piloting an airplane with piloting a helicopter . . .

. . . which are two very different things. A helicopter requires constant hands-on (and feet-on) control in order to maintain stability, in a way that an airplane does not. The very fact that a pilot would even think of trying to text is just . . . there are no words.

[cbrer]

3. When auto-pilot and auto-hover are factored in,

Physical input becomes less of a factor.

*However* Even if this pilot had those controls, there's no disputing the "pilot error" conclusion for this tragedy.

What wasn't mentioned was the pilots reaction to the "low fuel" annunciator. It is impossible to miss. And it seems unlikely that the pilot would ignore it- if only in terms of self preservation. He/she's got time to set it down if he/she actually run's the thing out of fuel. And if the pilot is competent with autorotation, a controlled touchdown should be even more probable.

Damn shame.

[Pilotguy]

2. I have to disagree with the NTSB on this one...

The pilot's poor decision making led to the helicopter running out of fuel and crashing, not texting. Just my opinion from reading the NTSB report.

[Major Nikon]

4. That's pretty much what they said

The NTSB report said the texting was a probable contributing factor, not the primary cause.

Let's face it. Flying an aircraft safely requires constant vigilance. You can't do that if you're texting your girlfriend.

[Skittles]

6. sounds like the guy found safety checks a pain in the ass

[In_The_Wind]

8. I agree with you. Something was probably overlooked in the pre_trip_inspection..

[sendero]

7. I agree..

... there were no texts in the last 11 minutes of the flight. While I totally agree that anyone piloting a helicopter should not be engaging in an kind of cellphone use, the texting here was tangential.

What was proximate was his determination to make his schedule so he could meet the "friend" he was texting with IMHO.

[quadrature]

5. what really happened ...

pilot takes off, without looking
at gas gauge.

gets part of the way there,
realizes that they are low on fuel.

has to make decision....

keep job.

or.

go back to for fuel.
(and be fired)

at least that guy won't be making
any more piloting mistakes.

[vinny9698]

9. CIA pilot Gary Powers died in a similar helicopter crash

In 1960, CIA pilot Gary Powers was shot down while flying a U-2 over Soviet territory.
Powers was working for a Los Angeles news station flying a helicopter. He failed to check his fuel gauge one morning.

[Doctor_J]

10. Unless he was texting an SOS this is mind-boggling

I bet it happens on the road a million times per day nationwide.