re: Can someone explain the Kobe helicopter crash to me like I'm 5?

Go outside, put your forehead on a bat and spin around in circles as fast as you can for 20 full turns. That will get you spatially disoriented. Then hop on a bicycle and try to ride it in a straight line. Hell just ride it without falling.

If Spatial D was the cause, highly likely, then you will understand what the pilot was dealing with. Just not 1500’ above the ground, flying at 150 KIAS.

Heli flew in fog with terrain on all sides.

The end.

Pretty much.

quote:

---

For those in the know...is an S-76 single pilot rated? I always thought that it was a 2 pilot operation.

---

Yes it can be flown single pilot. It depends on the Part 135 carriers Ops Specs as to what specific single pilot operations it can perform, ferry flights, VFR only, or IFR. Without knowing if they had any restrictions associated with being single pilot it’s hard to know.

quote:

---

Can someone explain the Kobe helicopter crash to me like I'm 5?

---

Pilot went into the fog, couldn't tell where he was, didn't look at his gauges and flew into a at 160mph.

quote:

---

Pilot went into the fog, couldn't tell where he was, didn't look at his gauges and flew into a at 160mph.

---

They most likely didn't fly straight into the hill/mountain.

Probably went into an unrecoverable dive first.

Guy is familiar with the area and has flown the path hundreds of times. He KNOWS FOR FACT how high the highest hill/mountain is in that flight path.
Why not be higher than the highest peak? Especially in bad conditions. Makes no sense.
Why go 200 fricking mph?
I saw the Ring videos. He had just flown over a neighborhood so he had a solid altitude reading.

There is simply ZERO reason for him not to be at 400 ft, minimum.

Damn right it was avoidable...fricking google maps would have told him exactly where he was....seriously

quote:

---

This is the head scratcher on a lot of aviation forums. They were traveling along Hwy 101 at around 500 ft and could see the road. The clouds were 1300ft. they ascend into the clouds, basically do a u-turn, and then crash at 1100 ft going 170mph.

It seems if they kept following Hwy 101 at 500 ft, then they could’ve made it to the academy. Possibly pilot was wanting to get higher to be tracked and let ATC direct them. Who knows. The academy was west of Thousand Oaks right off 101.

---

What are they saying about speed following 101 initially before left with some of the smaller curves?

Up until 101 flight mostly flying around flatter terrain. Before big turn it seem terrain on right was either little lower than on left or had some extra space before getting closer to height on left including Mureau Rd widening and added distance from 101 along with businesses in Malibu canyon (?) on right in left curve. The terrain on right of 101 in turn or in front before turn (after canyon opening) is listed on google maps getting up above 1200ft with one spot at 1400ft. From canyon incline a little more gradual incline compared to the incline closer to where Las Virgenes & 101 cross over each other.

Wondering if due to speed he had widened out to right before the big left and then speed, fog, & clouds caused him to misjudge upcoming elevation forcing an even harder left while also pulling up hard. He then would have had to try and regain control & bearings while initially in clouds.

I haven't been entirely clear on when he went up into cloud coverage and came back down, so I am just going by video now.

Yep, after seeing that, this one is bizarre. Was clearly following the highway, seemingly low and fine and then went silent, shot up and then bam, hit the ground.

Very strange.

Do you know how valleys work?

Imagine you're flying inside a valley and there is very thick fog all around you.

That's essentially what happened.