Image: NTSB
The pilot of an Airbus Helicopters EC 130 may have been attempting to fly out of instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) when the helicopter began a rapid descent and struck the ground, killing both pilots and all four passengers on the charter flight. The helicopter was destroyed.
In its final report on the Feb. 9, 2024, accident near Halloran Springs, California, U.S., the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the probable cause was the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control of the helicopter. The NTSB cited as contributing factors the operator’s inadequate oversight of safety management processes, “including ensuring the pilots were accurately completing and updating the flight risk analysis, logging maintenance discrepancies, and ensuring the helicopter met [U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs)] Part 135 regulations before departure.”
The day of the accident, the pilot, accompanied by a compa…
