Cell phones and other portable electronic devices (PEDs) have introduced a “21st century twist” to the distractions that can permeate pilot decision-making processes, and more should be done to prevent their use during critical phases of flight and ground operations, Chairman Deborah Hersman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says.
Hersman spoke during an NTSB hearing on the Aug. 26, 2011, crash of a Eurocopter AS350 B2 that ran out of fuel and crashed 1 nm (2 km) from the Midwest National Air Center in Mosby, Missouri, U.S., during a multi-leg flight. The crash killed the pilot of the Air Methods helicopter, flight nurse, flight paramedic and patient.
The NTSB said probable causes of the crash were the “pilot’s failure to confirm that the helicopter had adequate fuel on board to complete the mission before making the first departure, his improper decision to continue the mission and make a second departure after he became aware of a critically low fuel l…
