AS 350 Newscopter Down in NJ, 2 Dead

[PHXPhlyer]

News helicopter crashes in New Jersey woods, killing the pilot and a photographer
The helicopter was returning to Philadelphia from an assignment at the Jersey Shore when it went down in Washington Township around 8 p.m. Tuesday.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ne ... rcna130563

A Philadelphia news helicopter crashed in a wooded area of New Jersey on Tuesday night, killing the pilot and a photographer on board, the television station said.

The helicopter was returning to Philadelphia from an assignment at the Jersey Shore when it went down in Washington Township, New Jersey, around 8 p.m., WPVI-TV reported Wednesday.

The cause of the crash is under investigation and the pilot and the photographer who died were not identified.

“They have a long history with our station and have been working as part of the Action News team for years,” the news station said, calling it a "devastating day."

The New Jersey State Park Police received a call just before 11 p.m. Tuesday about a missing helicopter in the area of Wharton State Forest, Chief George Fedorczyk told reporters Wednesday.


A debris field was discovered shortly after midnight "in a remote location" near Mullica River Road in the area of Middle and Quaker Bridge Atsion roads in Washington Township, he said.

A Federal Aviation Administration representative will conduct an initial assessment this morning, and the scene has been secured by New Jersey State Park Police.

The FAA said in a statement just two people were on board the chopper — a Eurocopter AS350B2, which WPVI leases from U.S. Helicopters Inc. in North Carolina.

The news station said that U.S. Helicopters has been in touch with the victims' families.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.

An NTSB investigator is traveling to the scene to examine the aircraft, and the helicopter will be moved to a “secure facility for further evaluation,” the agency said.

“NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment,” a NTSB spokesperson added.

PP

[CharlieOneSix]

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... d#334d1cc5

Shortly after 3 x 360 orbits at night, followed by a transit back to base at night at 800ft, possibly over dark countryside(?) and then - if FR24 gives anything like a true picture - after slowly descending at about 270ft/min for 3 minutes it impacts the terrain in Wharton State Forest. Possible somatogravic illusion?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I would guess at Black Hole Effect.
The fatal gentle descent starts just as they pass Washington township. After this there would likely be no local ground lights at all. There would be complete darkness below and the distant glow of the Philadelphia conurbation on the horizon. The ground underneath gradually rises up the valley of the Batsto river.

[FD2]

Someone I flew with once nearly flew us into the sea on an approach to a ship off the Clyde, in darkness. I was also at fault by not monitoring his slow descent until I heaved up the collective and was alarmed to see some white water stirred beneath by our downdraft. We had both been fixated on the lights of the ship about 2-3 miles ahead and not noticed the descent. So Fox3's suggestion might be looked at.

We should also consider the 'leans' as we used to call the effect which is now I think known as 'somatogravic illusion' which we were warned about in training and which some of us used to experience for real. Three complete orbits and a relatively low flight back to base at night and a slow descent to impact could well have meant a trust in his own 'feelings' instead of what the instruments were telling him - long day, fatigue, get home-itis.

Was there a rad alt warning system I wonder? Maybe the bug had not been reset after low level work on task. I also wonder if there is at least the possibility of some clues from a CVR.

[G~Man]

Was there a rad alt warning system I wonder?

I hate to say it, but I give about 40 flight checks per year to my pilots and others, and in almost every case they have set the warning altitude to zero---therefore it will never go off. This is even after I have told them that it is a safety net and should be used.

Maybe the bug had not been reset after low level work on task.

Their task was news gathering----I am guessing that was not low level.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The camera work appeared to be about 500-1,000 ft agl, and they transited out at about 1,200 ft +/- 200 ft, and back (until the descent) at the 900 ft amsl they finished the camera work at.
Looks like VFR with no particular height decided on.