Latest news with #VFR
West Australian
19-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Australian Transport Safety Bureau reveals helicopters in near-collision off Cottesloe Beach
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has revealed a beach patrol helicopter and a sightseeing helicopter were on track to collide with each other off Cottesloe Beach earlier this year. The two craft were flying under VFR rules, which means it is the responsibility of pilots to see and avoid obstacles. But the report from the ATSB found the two helicopters came within about 100 metres horizontally and 200 feet vertically during the near-collision. The incident is eerily similar to the collision of two helicopters on the Gold Coast in 2023 that claimed the lives of four people. The pilots in that incident were also flying under VFR rules. The near-disaster off one of Perth's most popular beaches occurred about 10.20am on February 2, when the crew of an Aerospatiale Industries AS.350BA helicopter was conducting routine beach patrols. At the same time, a Bell Helicopter Company B206 operating a sightseeing flight with three passengers was flying northwest at an altitude of about 1500ft. As it crossed the coast, the pilot started a descending left turn to fly south, converging with and crossing in front of the patrol helicopter as it descended, forcing the pilot of that craft to make an immediate turn to the west. The patrol helicopter's pilot reported the rear left-seat air crew officer had observed the B206 'on our left, close' but had assumed the helicopter was still at 1500ft based on an earlier position and intent radio call. The pilot called the B206 directly to advise of the conflict after taking the evasive action. The B206 pilot reported that when they broadcasted their position and intent after leaving the Jandakot control zone, air traffic control had told them of the AS.350's location and altitude but they had not heard any radio calls from the helicopter itself. The pilot had not seen the AS.350 when approaching the coast and became aware of the conflict only when advised by the AS.350 pilot. The ATSB did not hold an investigation into the incident, instead releasing an occurrence brief intended to raise industry awareness. Because occurrence briefs are not investigations under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003, the parties involved were not identified. The ATSB brief said while both helicopters had Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS‑B) technology, the broadcast‑only functionality of the B206's system limited the pilot's situational awareness. 'The VFR transit lanes along the Perth terminal area coastline are popular sightseeing and operational routes, with, at times, multiple smaller aircraft operating within the lanes,' it said. It said operators and pilots of aircraft operating in these lanes should consider the limitations of the visual 'see and avoid' principle and use all available methods and technologies to ensure safe aircraft separation. Both helicopter operators held after a review after the incident. The B206 operator held an internal investigation and released a safety bulletin highlighting the need for continuous situational awareness and communication. It also plans to upgrade the B206's avionics.
Perth Now
19-05-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Helicopters in near-collision off Cottesloe Beach
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has revealed a beach patrol helicopter and a sightseeing helicopter were on track to collide with each other off Cottesloe Beach earlier this year. The two craft were flying under VFR rules, which means it is the responsibility of pilots to see and avoid obstacles. But the report from the ATSB found the two helicopters came within about 100 metres horizontally and 200 feet vertically during the near-collision. Your local paper, whenever you want it. The incident is eerily similar to the collision of two helicopters on the Gold Coast in 2023 that claimed the lives of four people. The pilots in that incident were also flying under VFR rules. The near-disaster off one of Perth's most popular beaches occurred about 10.20am on February 2, when the crew of an Aerospatiale Industries AS.350BA helicopter was conducting routine beach patrols. At the same time, a Bell Helicopter Company B206 operating a sightseeing flight with three passengers was flying northwest at an altitude of about 1500ft. The flight paths of the helicopters. Credit: ATSB As it crossed the coast, the pilot started a descending left turn to fly south, converging with and crossing in front of the patrol helicopter as it descended, forcing the pilot of that craft to make an immediate turn to the west. The patrol helicopter's pilot reported the rear left-seat air crew officer had observed the B206 'on our left, close' but had assumed the helicopter was still at 1500ft based on an earlier position and intent radio call. The pilot called the B206 directly to advise of the conflict after taking the evasive action. The B206 pilot reported that when they broadcasted their position and intent after leaving the Jandakot control zone, air traffic control had told them of the AS.350's location and altitude but they had not heard any radio calls from the helicopter itself. The pilot had not seen the AS.350 when approaching the coast and became aware of the conflict only when advised by the AS.350 pilot. The ATSB did not hold an investigation into the incident, instead releasing an occurrence brief intended to raise industry awareness. Because occurrence briefs are not investigations under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003, the parties involved were not identified. The ATSB brief said while both helicopters had Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS‑B) technology, the broadcast‑only functionality of the B206's system limited the pilot's situational awareness. 'The VFR transit lanes along the Perth terminal area coastline are popular sightseeing and operational routes, with, at times, multiple smaller aircraft operating within the lanes,' it said. It said operators and pilots of aircraft operating in these lanes should consider the limitations of the visual 'see and avoid' principle and use all available methods and technologies to ensure safe aircraft separation. Both helicopter operators held after a review after the incident. The B206 operator held an internal investigation and released a safety bulletin highlighting the need for continuous situational awareness and communication. It also plans to upgrade the B206's avionics.
USA Today
08-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
Investigators release report on cause of helicopter crash that killed 5 Marines
Investigators release report on cause of helicopter crash that killed 5 Marines Show Caption Hide Caption Pilot error cited as cause of military helicopter crash A report says weather and the use of night vision goggles were among the reasons for a deadly Marine helicopter crash. Fox - 10 Phoenix More than a year after five U.S. Marines were killed when a helicopter crashed into a Southern California mountain range, investigators say the cause of the mishap was "pilot error." The fatal crash occurred on Feb. 6, 2024, as the service members were returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego following a training mission at Nevada's Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas. The CH-53E Super Stallion was reported missing before authorities discovered it had crashed into a mountain near Pine Valley, California. The crash killed five Marines including Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21; Sgt. Alec Langen, 23; Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27; Capt. Jack Casey, 26; and Capt. Miguel Nava, 28. The more than 1,100 page report released by the Marine Corps found the root cause of the mishap was the pilot's "failure to maintain both a safe obstacle clearance and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) visibility requirements, resulting in a fatal controlled flight into terrain." As the helicopter was returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, it had to make an emergency landing at Imperial County Airport, about 120 miles east of the chopper's final destination in San Diego. Before taking off again, the helicopter's pilot received permission from the squadron's commanding officer to make the "one shot" return flight. Investigators say the weather conditions on the route from the county airport to the air station, including moderate icy conditions and cloud layers, also presented a safety risk. "These deteriorating weather conditions should have been a signal to the mishap crew of Tiger 43 that a safe transit from Imperial County Airport to MCAS Miramar was not feasible," the report said. And while investigators say the commanding officer's approval of the return flight was not a "direct causal or contributing factor in this mishap," they determined the officer exceeded his authority as the approval of a nighttime flight after emergency maintenance lies with a higher authority. The squadron's commanding officer also should have taken more time to speak with pilot about the "aircraft issue and discuss a more thorough plan to return home, including weather conditions, planned route of flight, crew day, and fatigue level and human factors," investigators determined. In November, the squadron's commanding officer, who approved the return flight, was relieved of command "due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to continue serving," the report said. A memo from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing included in the report said "the Marine Corps aviation community will utilize the findings and recommendations of this investigation to make us better in both practice and execution."
NBC News
08-05-2025
- General
- NBC News
Deadly Marine helicopter crash in San Diego's East County deemed ‘pilot error'
More than one year later, the official investigation into the cause of the military helicopter crash that killed five Marines is complete. It happened on Feb. 6, 2024, during the CH-53E Super Stallion's return flight to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, where all of the Marines were based. The servicemen were identified as: Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21, of Olathe, Kansas, a CH-53E helicopter crew chief Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, of Chandler, Arizona, a CH-53E helicopter crew chief Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, of Emmett, Idaho, a CH-53E helicopter pilot Capt. Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire, a CH-53E helicopter pilot Capt. Miguel Nava, 28, of Traverse City, Michigan, a CH-53E helicopter pilot The 1,140-page investigation was released more than one year later on Wednesday. According to the redacted version, released to the public, the crash was deemed 'pilot error, which included the mishap pilot's failure to maintain both a safe obstacle clearance and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) visibility requirements, resulting in a fatal controlled flight into terrain,' read the report. The report continued, 'the investigation identified several additional contributing factors, including the presence of moderate icing conditions and cloud layers along the mishap route that prevented a safe transit above factor terrain. The investigation further determined these deteriorating weather conditions should have been a signal to the mishap crew of TIGER 43 that a safe transit from Imperial County Airport was not feasible, despite the earlier forecasted and observed weather report that supported TIGER 43's initial departure from Creech Air Force Base to Imperial County.' As mentioned above, the investigation revealed that the TIGER 43 crew, part of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW), had a training flight before leaving Creech Air Force Base to head back to their home base. They had a planned stop at the Imperial County Airport for fuel, but it turned into a nighttime precautionary emergency landing (PEL) after receiving warning signs about one of their engines. There was some discrepancy in the investigation on whether or not this was communicated adequately. However, the issue was resolved, then, according to the report, the pilot called the squadron's commanding officer to approve their flight back to Miramar. It was approved, but 'the squadron CO exceeded his authority by approving the mishap flight,' and the investigators determined that it should have been elevated. That commanding officer was later relieved on Nov. 18 'due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to continue to serve,' according to a media release sent to NBC 7 from 3rd MAW. The Super Stallion crew was eventually reported overdue at Miramar and last 'heard of at 2330' or 11:30 p.m., according to dispatch records. The next day multiple agencies, both federal and local, responded to their last known location in the Pine Valley area to try to find the helicopter and the Marines. Unfortunately, all five Marines were later found dead and were protected by fellow Marines until investigators arrived, including 23-year-old Sgt. Alec Langen. 'Probably the most difficult part was reading from the time it went down to the time that they found everybody,' Steve Langen, Alec's dad who also has experience as a Marine on the CH-53E, told NBC 7. 'What happened? Were they over task-saturated? Were they tired?' Steve Langen explained he and his wife, Alec's mom, were briefed in person a few weeks ago by Marines who shared the full, unredacted investigative conclusion with them, as is standard policy. He explained they 'never wanted there to be a family to have to live with [the responsibility]' of knowing one person on the aircraft may have been to blame for the tragedy. 'As a parent, you want to believe that they all made the decision together,' Steve Langen said. Despite the entire length of the investigation, those final moments before the helicopter crashed into the mountain ridge will never be fully understood. 'A few limitations presented during the investigative process, including the inaccessibility of certain on-board flight data and exact real-time weather. The investigative team thoroughly evaluated possible scenarios and simulations to draw conclusions from the available data and analysis,' read the 3rd MAW media release announcing the completed report. That is exactly what needs to change, Steve Langen told NBC 7. He said he wants to see voice recorders added to the cockpit of military aircraft so that other families do not need to be left with lingering questions if the unthinkable happens. 'Were they having a discussion? Did one guy override the other one? Was Alec saying let's turn around or was Alec saying let's go?' Steve Langen said. A spokesperson for 3rd MAW explained that incorporating crash-survivable recorders into the CH-53E would be too costly, given their limited remaining service life in the Marine Corps. 'No, it's not going to bring him back. No, it's not going to give us full closure from it, but there has to be some change,' Steve Langen said. The media release from 3rd MAW added that 'multiple recommendations were implemented to police and training across 3rd MAW in response to the investigation.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wildfire smoke contributed to fatal plane crash in Gilford: NTSB
Mar. 7—A West Ossipee pilot who died when his plane crashed into Lake Winnipesaukee in 2023 ignored a warning that wildfire smoke might make flying dangerous and lost control due to "spatial disorientation," according to an accident report. "The pilot was advised by a flight instructor before departing on the accident flight that meteorological information indicated visibility might be diminished by the time he arrived at the destination airport, but he decided to depart anyway," according to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board. Robert Ashe, 70, was at the controls of the Cessna 150 when it crashed into more than 50 feet of water in Lake Winnipesaukee in Gilford, according to Fish and Game at the time. The pilot was completing a flight from Warwick, Rhode Island, to Laconia Municipal Airport, the report said. "According to the instructor, who was a friend of the pilot, the pilot had experienced multiple delays returning the accident airplane to his home and had plans with a friend that evening," the report said. "Thus, the pilot appears to have disregarded information that the flight might have been unsafe to operate under VFR, and he likely did not divert because he was motivated to avoid further delays and attend to a social obligation." VFR stands for visual flight rules. Ashe had planned to see his girlfriend and celebrate a "special dinner," according to the report that cited a friend of the pilot. "Several risk factors for spatial disorientation were present in this case: reduced visibility, manual control, and maneuvering flight," the report said. "Therefore, the pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation followed by a loss of control in flight." Ashe took off from T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick around 4:10 p.m. Sept. 30, 2023, and crashed at 7:42 p.m. "Witnesses indicated visibility in the area was reduced by wildfire smoke," the report said. "Surveillance video confirmed that the sky was obscured and that the airplane was flying through low clouds immediately before the loss of control occurred." mcousineau@
