When I heard the terrible news that a Sikorsky S-76B carrying nine people, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter, crashed near Calabasas, California, I checked the weather. Heavy fog. I then reviewed the Air Traffic Control recordings. SVFR (Special Visual Flight Rules). I then learned that the helicopter was not equipped with TAWS (Terrain Awareness… Read More
Posts Tagged With: aviation accident
Cold Water Survivability and Aviation Crashes: Introduction
The location of an airplane or helicopter crash has a large effect on post-impact survivability. For example, a crash at a remote mountain range has a lower survivability than a similar crash at a large airport with advanced ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting). When a crash occurs in the water, especially cold water, a whole… Read More
Cold Water Survivability and Aviation Crashes: Initial Impact Survivability
In this post, we will continue our cold water survivability discussion and take a look at how the mechanics of a crash itself affect cold water survivability issues. A passenger’s chances of surviving an aircraft’s initial impact with the water are most dependent on the degree to which the aircraft in under control at the… Read More
