NTSB Media Brief - Airbus EC130 Helicopter Crash (Feb 11) livestream

February 11, 2024: NTSB Member Michael Graham briefs the media in Barstow, California, on the NTSB investigation into the February 9, 2024, crash of an Airbus Helicopters EC-130 near Halloran Springs, California.

[@abiboy2412]

My problem is even with the idiot who booked the flight on behalf of the family without conducting a thorough background check on the charter company!!! The same Orbic Air had previous FAA and legal issues!!! Was the family notified of bad weather before the flight? Were they given the chance to decide whether or not they wanted to take the risk or was Orbic just interested in the revenues?? Such an unfair and unnecessary way to die. Heads must roll for this.

[@bbt305]

a very brief, brief.

[@edwinodus]

Two pilots and chopper was intact and it still went down

[@TOMVUTHEPIMP]

Bad weather like Kobe.

[@user-jq2rf4nf3o]

Pilots went IMC - flew it into the ground. Night, Hills, Rain , Pick 1.

[@cslivestockllc138]

VMC to IMC

[@darrens.4322]

Pilot-in-command had no business flying into that kind of forecast/known/recent weather, associated with terrain, at night. They were not IFR approved. I am rated as a IFR pilot in certified IFR airplanes, and would not have flown into that situation. They risk-stacked, and the risks killed everyone aboard. This eerily reminds me of the Kobe helicopter crash. Ice protection systems are only on a few copters, and that is not one. But good call on ice. If snow flurries were reported on ground, the pilot may have got into icing which is bad for copters. He should have had increasing reduced visibility while he navigated using the I-15 for a visual reference, and then should have turned back or landed as a precaution, somewhere. Continued flight he may have kept ducking under the muck to see, perhaps striking the power line(s) he may have.

[@kirknitz3794]

It brought to mind the Kobe Bryant crash to me also.

[@user-jq2rf4nf3o]

IMC and the pilot rolled it into the ground. Steep angle high speed fragmented on impact - Night, Hills, rain. Picked up a few helicopters and planes that all did the same last flights, Pilot screwed the pooch. 45+ year commercial helicopter pilot , A&P IA

[@keithdrewv1161]

And still no briefing on the crash in Naples, Florida? Or did I miss something?

[@PInk77W1]

Frozen fuel. They flew at 40k feet for 2hrs. No chemical to keep the fuel In a liquid state. Is what I heard

[@chunandler]

@@PInk77W1 Uh don't think that's accurate.

[@PInk77W1]

@@chunandler I have no clue. It’s what I heard

[@arthouston7361]

The Challenger which crashed in Florida had purchased fuel without the ingredient needed to keep the fuel in a liquid state for extended periods of time at high altitude where it is very cold. When I was flying jets, we asked for that additive with every single fuel up, but apparently a bean counter dispatcher thought it was going to cost more money, when in reality, they could’ve had that additive put into their fuel at no additional cost at the OSU airport.

[@keithdrewv1161]

@@arthouston7361 if that's suspected as part of the issue on this flight, how is it that the aircraft made it all the way to their destination before the flame out occurred? It seems that this issue would have presented much earlier in the flight. Or is that assumption incorrect?

[@dissaid]

🙏🙏🙏

[@wazza33racer]

As they say on Star Trekkin "ya canna change the laws of physics Jim!"

[@Truckngirl]

So, including the Marines, eleven people died in helicopter crashes in less than a week in Southern California. Curious.

[@katwashere194]

Could have something to do with the extremely out of the ordinary weather there lately

[@PInk77W1]

They learned nothing from Kobe and the MARINES

[@nicolemudekereza6653]

😂😂😂😂

[@rusticodeguzman5632]

I am guessing that the CIA will tell it's Russia's fault, hahaha (LoL)

[@errorsofmodernism7331]

Was CEO Wigwe possibly terminated with extreme prejudice by an alphabet agency? Did it have something to do with Nigeria's banking system integrating banking transfers with BRICS?

[@darrens.4322]

Certainly interesting principals. I read chatter that Nigeria was increasing its biz opportunities including banking, with China.

[@RobertMack-iz7yi]

I was a expat contractor for a Nigerian Company for five years and have reached out to two friends about the incident. One of them brought up the same question, however, I (personally) do not believe this was possible for various reasons. I have pulled up their final flight on FlightAware and cross-referenced with Google Earth Pro. Although I have no idea what kind of Ops Specs they were under nor their dispatch protocol, I do believe adhering to a truthful Flight Risk Assessment would have prohibited a take-off. Would also like to know the qualifications and experience of the two pilots. In summary, a single-engine helicopter flying VFR in what seems to be marginal weather at night certainly elevated the risks. Another question would be their operations hierarchy - who was tracking and monitoring their flight - where was the chief pilot, director of operations, or even the chief operating officer? As a former COO for an aviation management company I monitored everything to help take care of everybody - we had highly skilled crews assigned to operate for maximum safety and efficiency. (45-year aviation career veteran / Private Investigator / Armed Security Consultant / sUAS Content Creator)

[@AndrewLarson-mq7xc]

Airbus makes crappy unsafe helicopters

[@alanm8932]

Really?

[@Funeral_Potatoes]

I fly the same type of helicopter and I can say that they are some of the most robust and well-constructed helicopters out there, and are staples of this segment of the aviation industry. This accident was most likely due to weather and likely had nothing to do with the design of the helicopter. It's disappointing to hear disparaging comments like this from people who don't have the experience to back up their claims and are ignorant to the operation of these aircraft.

[@AndrewLarson-mq7xc]

Yep really 😂​@@alanm8932

[@AndrewLarson-mq7xc]

​@@alanm8932yes they are junk so bad the military dumped them they are to costly to keep running always broken down and don't handle all that great.

[@dermick]

@@Funeral_Potatoes You are completely right. This crash has "bad judgement" written all over it, not an issue with the aircraft.