DAY 1 January 28, 2020 HAI PUBLICATIONS Convention News « HAI’s new president and CEO James Viola flew Viola in this Bell 505 solo to the Anaheim Convention Center where he is meeting many members tune with of the rotorcraft industry for the first time and affirming his commitment to HAI’s HAI safety key issues, especially initiatives the target of zero Engines by Curt Epstein Sanfran has big year › This year’s Heli-Expo marks the end of one page 27 era and the beginning of another as Matt Zuccaro, who had helmed the organiza- tion as president and CEO for the past 15 OEMs years, retired as announced before the show Schweizer brings S300 started. To succeed him, Helicopter Associ- ation International (HAI) selected James back to market › page 21 Viola, bringing on board a long-time gov- ernment and military professional with deep Flight Controls aviation safety and helicopter experience. He assumed his new role with HAI on Garmin GFC 600H set January 16, and at an introductory press con- page 28 ference at the Anaheim Convention Center for certification › on Monday ahead of the show’s opening, he found himself thrust into the media spotlight Operations as he addressed the tragic helicopter crash the day before which claimed the life of for- Politicians attack NYC mer NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, his daugh- helo flights › page 30 ter, and seven others, in nearby Calabasas. “High-profile incidents and accidents cer- tainly bring more visibility, and not in a posi- Industry tive way for the industry,” he told the audience, Zuccaro reflects on 15 as he then touched on the safety classes and presentations being offered at the show. “But AMBROSE BARRY years at HAI › page 36 if there is any connection to what we are doing this week, it will show that this industry really goes out of its way to try to make sure that we provide the safest industry as possible on the helicopter side of the house.” He concluded Performance packs boost AW169 power his response stating, “It’s about zero fatal accidents, that’s the vision, the goal, because by Mark Huber no loss of life is acceptable.” Viola was chosen from a pool of approx- Leonardo is developing two performance and as a retrofit to existing helicopters (OEI) hover. Shortly after initial EASA imately 50 qualified applicants from all packages for the AW169 medium twin that beginning in 2021. certification approval for the helicopter, around the world, according to HAI chair will increase engine shaft horsepower Retrofit pricing was not disclosed, but Leonardo certified the AW169 for a maxi- Capt. Jan Becker. “I think the thing that Jim (shp), transmission rating, and available a company spokesman said he expected mum gross weight increase from 4.6 to 4.8 brings to the table is just an industry pas- payload. The “Enhanced” and “Supe- them to require 16 man-hours of labor. tons in 2016. That increased-gross-weight sion,” Becker told AIN. “He has an ability rior” performance packs rely on software Available payload would increase from kit upped the aircraft’s maximum takeoff to see both the operator and the member- updates and minor aerodynamic modifi- 440 to 770 pounds, depending on phase weight from 10,141 to 10,582 pounds, a ship sides, what do the people want on the cations to deliver increased performance. of flight and external conditions; more capability that could add up to 100 nm of ground, what do we need in the regulations Leonardo expects EASA approval for the than 770 pounds for hovering, some 660 additional range from the original ferry and internationally, bringing the people packages by the end of 2020 and will pounds for CAT.A-PC1 operations, and range of 431 nm (no reserve). continues on page 38 make them available on new deliveries 440 pounds for one-engine-inoperative continues on page 38 Pg-1-38_d1_v4.indd 2 1/27/20 6:29 PM Bryant’s helicopter in rapid ADS-B TELEMETRY descent before fatal crash by Mark Huber Retired Los Angeles Lakers basketball aboard—identified as 50-year-old Ara legend Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daugh - Zobayan of Huntington Beach, Califor- ter Gianna, 13, were two of nine aboard nia. Zobayan held instrument helicopter a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B—registered as and commercial ratings, as well as an N72EX—who died Sunday at approx - FAA second-class aeromedical certificate imately 9:45 a.m. local time when the with limitations for corrective lenses for 15 SECONDS > helicopter went down just south of the near vision. FEET 101 freeway in Calabasas, California. After departing Santa Ana, the helicop- The accident helicopter was being oper- ter proceeded northbound over the I-5 SPEED IN KNOTS ated under Part 135 as an on-demand highway to Glendale, California, where charter flight. a Burbank Tower controller put it in a It lifted off from John Wayne Airport 15-minute hold for traffic before grant- in Santa Ana, California, at 9:08 a.m. en ing a special VFR transition through its route to the Camarillo Airport (KCMA), Class C airspace. Both Van Nuys and Bur- n Altitude (ft AMSL) near Bryant’s basketball academy in bank Airports reported marginal weather n Vertical Speed (fpm) n Thousand Oaks, California, when it hit conditions near the time of the accident. Ground speed (Kts) terrain in conditions described as low At 9:51 a.m., Van Nuys reported 2.5 miles ceilings and heavy fog. The helicopter, visibility, 1,100 feet overcast, and haze. 22 SECONDS which was registered to Island Express At Burbank at 10:16 a.m., it was also 2.5 Holding, was flying with one pilot miles visibility with a ceiling of 1,100 feet ADS-B Out data provided by Flightradar24 showed that just before Sikorsky S-76B N72EX in haze. crashed, it was descending at a high rate of speed, with the rate of descent reaching 4,864 Burbank Tower cleared N72EX via the fpm and groundspeed increasing from 110 to 161 knots. INDEX north side of the airport along the I-5 free- Air Methods United Rotorcraft ........................... 29 way from the southeast to the northwest answered in the affirmative that he wished with the aircraft climbing rapidly in a turn Aero Asset ............................................................ 3 at or below 2,500 feet. Zobayan told the to switch frequencies to Socal Approach. from west to southeast to east from an Airbus Helicopters ........................................12, 26 tower controller he intended to follow the Van Nuys approved a requested turn altitude of 1,200 to 2,150 feet in less than Alpine Aerotech .................................................. 25 I-5 to the 118 freeway for the next transi- to the southwest (to intercept the 101). 40 seconds, before descending at a rate of Aston Martin ........................................................12 tion, through the Van Nuys airport’s Class At 9:39 a.m., Zobayan reported VFR and 4,864 fpm. Astronautics.......................................................... 6 D airspace, and then proceed southwest 1,500 feet. At 9:42 a.m., he squawked ident In the final 15 seconds of the flight, Avidyne ............................................................... 26 and pick up the 101 freeway and follow it with Socal Approach. At 9:43:58, Socal ground speed increased from 110 to 161 Axnes .................................................................. 34 westbound to his destination. Approach informed him that he was too knots, with the last radar hit reported at Bell ................................................................13, 33 At 9:35 a.m., Zobayan checked in with low for flight following. 1,350 feet. The wreckage was located just Cadorath ............................................................. 25 Van Nuys Tower, reporting that he was Less than a minute later, at 9:44:22, south of the 101 freeway and was con- Cobham Aerospace ............................................ 33 at 1,400 feet and requesting a special VFR Socal Approach unsuccessfully tried to sumed by a post-crash fire. Photos from Collins Aerospace Systems .................................14 transition. He was then cleared into Van reach N722EX. Thirty-one seconds later, the accident area appear to show elevated Direct Helicopter .................................................10 Nuys Class D airspace at or below 2,500 near Calabasas, it appears the accident terrain on both sides of the 101 freeway. EIT Avionics ........................................................ 22 European Helicopter Association ......................... 4 feet on the northeast side along the 118 sequence began. Data from Radarbox and Terrain within 4 nm of the accident site European Union Aviation Safety Agency ............. 4 freeway. Zobayan acknowledged and Flightradar24 both suggest that the final climbs higher than 2,800 feet. Frasca ................................................................. 34 reported a heading of 325 degrees and moments of the flight were unstabilized, Following the accident, both the Garmin ..........................................................28, 32 Helicopter Association International GE Capital Aviation Services ..............................20 (HAI) and the accident aircraft’s man- Genesys Aerosystems .........................................14 ufacturer, Sikorsky, issued statements Green Power Monitoring Systems...................... 23 of condolence. HAI said it “expresses HAI .............................................................1, 34, 36 Helicopter operators Bristow and Era merge our deepest sympathies to the families, Honeywell ......................................................8, 22 friends, and coworkers