Distracted Flying Cited in Deadly Missouri Helicopter Crash
Posted by Brett Emison
April 16, 2013 11:09 AM
April 16, 2013 11:09 AM
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Hopefully by now, we all know that distracted driving is dangerous. A recent news story highlights the fact that distracted flying can be dangerous too.
In their investigation of a deadly helicopter crash that killed four people, the NTSB found that the pilot was distracted by a portable electronic device and failed to notice, during preflight inspections, that the helicopter was low on fuel. Even after discovering the critically low-fuel state, the pilot opted to continue the flight. The helicopter ran out of fuel and crashed a little over a mile from an airport.
According to the NTSB investigation, the pilot had been on duty for twelve hours at the time of the accident, and during the shift sent and/or received some 85 text messages – including 20 during the 1 hour 41 minutes prior to the accident and at least seven messages during critical phases, including during preflight inspections and while flying.
Interestingly, the Board noted that the pilot did not appear to be texting at the time of the accident, nor did it blame the distraction for directly causing the accident. The Board’s probable cause statement reads:
NTSB Chairwoman Deborah A.P. Hersman adds, “This investigation highlighted what is a growing concern across transportation: distraction and the myth of multitasking. When you are operating heavy machinery, whether it is a personal vehicle or an EMS helicopter, you need to be focused on the task at hand.”
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