Monday, January 09, 2023

Robinson R44 Astro, N7094J: Fatal accident occurred November 22, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Hicks, Ralph

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities:
Robert Reynolds; Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Charlotte, North Carolina 
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania 
Robinson Helicopter; Torrance, California 
Total Traffic & Weather Network; Lawrenceville, Georgia 

Metro Networks Communications Inc


Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Accident Number: ERA23FA070
Date and Time: November 22, 2022, 11:57 Local
Registration: N7094J
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Aerial observation

On November 22, 2022, at 1157 eastern standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R44, N7094J, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Charlotte, North Carolina. The commercial pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight.

The purpose of the flight was to provide training for the staff meteorologist over a simulated news scene. Radar, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data, and surveillance video revealed that the helicopter departed from the WBTV Heliport at 1150 and proceeded southbound for about 5 minutes until over Interstate (I) 77. The pilot then performed three left 360° turns. During the third turn, the helicopter entered a rapid descent and impacted a grassy area adjacent to the southbound lanes of I-77. The pilot was in contact with Charlotte (CLT) air traffic control tower at the time; however, a review of the communication recordings did not reveal any calls of distress.

The helicopter came to rest about 20 ft from the point of initial impact, and oriented on a heading of 015°. There was no fire. Portions of the landing gear were found within the initial impact crater. All the primary structural components and rotor blades were located within the confines of the main wreckage.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: ROBINSON HELICOPTER 
Registration: N7094J
Model/Series: R44
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KCLT,730 ft msl
Observation Time: 16:52 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 5 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 14°C /-4°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots / , 340°
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 13000 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.38 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Charlotte, NC (NC90)
Destination: Charlotte, NC

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.15407,-80.89333 (est)

Christopher "Chip" Tayag
October 13, 1965 ~ November 22, 2022 (age 57)


J. Christopher “Chip” Tayag, 57, of Indian Land, SC, was welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus Christ on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. 

He was born on October 13, 1965, in Towson, MD to Dr. Diadema Simon and the late Dr. Balbino Z. Tayag, Jr.  In 1972, Dr. Edilberto Beltran became stepfather to Chip and his siblings. Chip was the youngest of 6 close-knit siblings who were always there to love and support each other through thick and thin. Chip had an exceptionally close relationship with all 14 of his nieces and nephews, godfather to many of them. He was an integral part of their lives, sharing the joy of their births all the way through adulthood; they always remained very close to their Uncle Chip.  

Chip’s love of faith and family was the foundation of his life. He was an active member at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Indian Land, SC, where he and his wife Kerry were married on August 3, 2019. 

Chip loved life and adventure; living every second to the fullest. In his younger years, you could often find him camping, fishing, playing tennis, and riding his dirt bike and motorcycle. In 1994, Chip endured a serious motorcycle accident with severe injuries and a near-amputation. He never complained. He always remained positive and kept that big smile on his face as he endured the pain and miraculously, made a full recovery. 

He obtained his certification in scuba diving and became a black belt in karate. However, Chip’s greatest love was flying. It started at a young age flying his remote control plane to earning his pilot’s license while he worked as an IT professional. He flew for Helicopter Adventures in Myrtle Beach for 3 years. This led to his job with WBTV in Charlotte, NC. Chip loved flying, and safety was always his priority as a helicopter pilot.    

Chip was the most selfless and loving person to all who were blessed to know him. He was always happy and laughing, with that big beautiful smile on his face. His support and generosity were second nature to anyone he encountered. He cared about others, to the point that if you were around him, you felt valued. His love and connection with those around him, showed in the unique nicknames he had for family, friends, and coworkers. 

Chip is survived by his wife, Kerry Tayag, stepdaughter, Elizabeth Walker and stepson Jonathan Walker (Emily Walker); mother, Diadema Beltran, stepfather, Edilberto Beltran, and five siblings: Rowena Crist (Michael Crist), Carene Giannico (Mike Giannico), Tristan Tayag (Jennifer Tayag), Tito Beltran (Vicki Beltran), and Rick Beltran (Cara Beltran), 14 nieces and nephews and 11 grand-nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at Palmetto Funeral Home, 2049 Carolina Place Drive Fort Mill, SC. A funeral mass will be held at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 7031 Waxhaw Hwy, Lancaster, SC. 

For those wishing to attend virtually, the services will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@GraceLilyProductions.

Visitation will be Friday, December 2nd from 7 to 9 pm at Mitchell Wiedefeld Funeral Home, 6500 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21212. The Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, December 3rd at 12 noon at Immaculate Conception Church, 200 Ware Avenue, Towson, MD 21204. 
 
Chip will be laid to rest in Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. 
  
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to HOPE of Lancaster County.
  

Jason Andrew Myers
February 19, 1981 ~ November 22, 2022 (age 41)
~


Jason Andrew Myers, 41, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, entered the loving arms of Jesus on Tuesday, November 22, 2022.

He was born on February 19, 1981, in Salisbury, North Carolina, to Rev. Glenn and Susan Myers. When his father received a new church appointment, Jason traveled from Salisbury to Mineral Springs, North Carolina, where he met the love of his life, Jillian, at only two years old.

From Mineral Springs, Jason and his family moved to Sherrill's Ford, NC where he attended Bandy's High School, as well as High Point, NC, where he graduated from Ledford High School in 1999. Jason graduated from North Carolina State University in 2003, earning his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology with a Communication Concentration.

His career would take him all over the country, starting at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where he worked during and after college, providing weather updates to the control tower. From there, Jason worked as a television meteorologist at KRBC-TV in Abilene, Texas, WRIC-TV in Richmond, Virginia, and ABC 36 in Lexington, KY where he was Chief Meteorologist.

His professional life was illustrious, but it was his home life that made Jason the proudest. He married Jillian Ann Southerland on May 10, 2003, and they raised four beautiful children together: Andrew (19), Lilly (17), Luke (15), and Lydia (13).

From the newsroom to the living room, everyone who knew Jason bore witness to his Christ-like character, his unwavering optimism, and his exuberant faith. He was always quick to point to Heaven as the central source of his joy, and never missed an opportunity to crack a dad joke, offer a word of encouragement, or simply ask, "Hey buddy, how you doing?" and genuinely listen for the answer.

It was a grand homecoming when Jason joined the meteorology team at WBTV Charlotte in 2019. He was excited to move closer to family, and radiantly proud to work for a station he'd admired since childhood. He brought an unmatched level of enthusiasm to everything he did, whether it was the early-morning broadcast or teaching his son's environmental science class at nearby Arborbrook Christian Academy.

Jason was intelligent, curious, genuine, and good to the very core. He lived out his testimony, spoke freely of his beliefs, and made sure no one had to ever wonder how much he loved them. While his family kept an ongoing text thread, he preferred to personally call everyone to check in on them throughout the week. He knew that words mattered, and was intentional about consistently speaking encouragement, affirmation, and love over his parents, grandparents, brother. He kept in such close contact with his loved ones that even when he lived states away, it felt like Jason was just down the road.

While he loved people and made each and every person he interacted with feel cherished, no one knew the depth of his tender and sacrificial love more than his wife. From their lavish surprise getaways to the daily morning coffee brought to her bed and the loving, encouraging texts he sent all throughout each day, he treasured her with every thought, word, and action.

Growing up in the church his entire life, Jason developed relational finesse and an innate ability to truly care for people, intentionally remembering the names and faces of everyone he interacted with. His personal ministry included being a Big Brother with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, serving alongside his wife in children's ministry for years, leading a church community group, leading Bible studies, and facilitating a class devoted to guiding parents and strengthening families. Most recently, Jason served as a shepherd to group leaders in his church and led a father-son mentorship group that included his son Luke.

Along with the many intricately folded and handwritten tooth fairy letters, handmade birthday cards, and notes he wrote them, his children will have an endless playlist of life-giving words spoken from him to play over in their hearts and minds throughout their lifetimes. He chased after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11), walking alongside and now sitting at the feet of his loving Savior.

In addition to his wife, children, and parents, Jason is survived by his beloved brother, Robert (Courtney); his brothers-in-law, William Southerland (Kelli) and Paul Southerland (Tori); sister-in-law, Katherine Beekman (Daniel); Jillian's parents, Bill and Kippen Southerland; and Jillian's grandmothers, Shirley Peeler and Omara Southerland. Also surviving are Jason's sweet nieces and nephews, including June and Ford (Robert and Courtney), Hyden, Elsie, and Baby Southerland (William and Kelli), Olivia and Beau (Paul and Tori), and Grace, Aubrey, Madelyn, and Baby Beekman (Katherine and Daniel).

The family will receive visitors from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday, November 25th at Carmel Baptist Church, 1145 Pineville-Matthews Road, Matthews, NC. A service celebrating Jason's life will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 26th at Carmel Baptist Church. 

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html, Mercy Church, and the ROOTS Campaign at Arborbrook Christian Academy https://www.arborbrook.org/roots. 

There is also a GoFundMe account set up to support Jason's family https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-jason-myers-husband-father-of-4

41 comments:

  1. The WBTV pilot had odd pilot records on FAA web site . One record was listed as Jacques Christopher Tayag with pilot license shown but with expired medical dated 12/2007 . Another record was listed for Christopher Jacques Tayag with no pilots license shown but with a current medical dated 06/2022 but I lot opted out of listing an address which has now been removed from FAA web site . However the report showing the license with expired medical is still showing on FAA web site . Seems odd same last name Tayag would have first and middle names reversed on 2 different reports on FAA web site then FAA deleted one report with current medical but no license reported but FAA leaves the other report with expired medics but showing pilot license . Pilot was Filipino and former computer IT guy so question is did pilot know he could not pass a medical in 2008 so he got another similar looking Filipino family member with same last name who did not have a pilots license to take a medical for him? When showing copy of pilot license and medical to company it would be easy to explain the simple mixup in the reversed first and middle names but same last name . Pilot was a 1099 contract employee per the TV station . Just very strange FAA would remove one record for Tayag with current medical date of 06/2022 but not correct the 12/2007 expired medical date on the other Tayag record .

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    1. Likely a clerical error that created the two parallel records, could have been that way for years. Noticed during accident investigation, eliminated one, leaving the cert record but not reattaching the separate med record.

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  2. Competing TV station in Charlotte WSOC flies a reportedly safer larger more expensive turbine engine helicopter with a pilot with more stringent ATP Airline Transport Pilot Rating and more restrictive 1st Class Medical compared to WBTV flying a smaller cheaper Robinson R44 with controversial safety record with pilot with less stringent Commercial Pilot license with less restrictive 2nd Class medical. Not sure if WSOC pilot is W2 employee with health insurance and 401k but reportedly WBTV pilot was a 1099 contract employee with no health insurance and no 401k. Typically contract pilots are required to pay their own 2 year BFR recurrent training costs compared to W2 pilots having company paid recurrent training costs . WBTV used to operate a safer turbine engine leased helicopter operated under safer Part 135 Ops specs and 135 pilot required to take and pass stringent recurrent training every 6-12 months but downsized to cheaper R44 and now operates under Part 91 less restrictive rules and only a 2 year BFR flight review with a no fail flight test .

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    1. thus all things would be equal with one gov't mandated flight standard, except humans are not equally qualified...

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    2. What’s the assertion with all of this?

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    3. Why say "downsized to cheaper R44 and now operates..." when there are photos dated 2014 of this R44 painted in WBTV Sky3 livery?

      Eight years of flying the R44 at the station, unknown cause of this crash, but somehow it's "downsized now". Strange flex and focus.

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    4. Did not mean to indicate downsizing was recent . Reason for saying WBTV downsized from larger turbine to smaller piston engine is at one time there were 3 larger turbine helicopters in Charlotte TV market . WCNC downsized to mow having no helicopter . WSOC did not downsize but kept flying their turbine helicopter . WBTV downsized from larger turbine helicopter to smaller piston helicopter . Major Airlines only fly turbine engines . Charlotte police fly 2 turbine helicopters. Atrium operates 3 turbine helicopters . Piston engines are not as reliable as turbine engines . Robinson Piston engines Require overhaul every 2200 hours . Turbine engines typically need overhaul 4000-6000 hours Comment below by expert says some Robinson engines had piston engines fail at 100 hours . Term typically used is “downsizing “ when changing from
      Turbine to piston engine smaller cheaper aircraft . When flying over congested cities with no good places to land most pilots would choose turbine engines .

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    5. Fair enough - no disagreement that turbine is better reliability.

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  3. Question is, Why the 'sudden' vertical descent? Forget all the certifcation business which may or may not come into play once the autopsy and tox investigations are completed. Why the sudden vertical descent?

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    1. Not sure why vertical descent . Male engineer on ground who watched helicopter make 3 aggressive 360 turns said he thought helicopter was in trouble before descent to ground . On Dec 29th a Grand Canyon tour helicopter made a hard landing causing injury to 7 passengers . One possible reason for vertical descent is pilot wanted to demonstrate to observer in rear seat practicing on camera how the helicopter could land in a tight space and pilot misjudged his rate of descent and hit ground hard . Think the landing spot was on sloping ramp to interstate so may not have been level and pilot misjudged his height and failed to stop descent . If engine had quit the pilot would have been in auto rotate mode which is a steeper descent . Many helicopter crashes are caused by hard landings when pilot simply misjudged sink rate .

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    2. Link to good video explanation of “Settling With Power” when helicopter is descending too fast and can’t stop descent before helicopter slams into the ground :

      https://youtu.be/ehV9vLnBICE

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  4. I really hope they look close at the powerplant. Lycoming has been installing "junk" engines the past several years. Mainly in the form of the -40 series. I personally know of some that have had 100 hours since factory new that have lost up to 4 cylinders in flight. Additionally, I have heard or many more including those in Australia that lead to their safety investigation. I don't believe it had anything to do with type of fuel or cooling times based on our companies experience operating the same type in many different R-44's. This is coming from a factory trained A&P/CFI/ATP, expert witness.

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    1. While the Australia engine investigation didn't find fuel aromatics to be a problem, it was noted that more engine trouble showed up in the northern parts of the country where op temps were higher. If engine quality was the root cause of valve and cylinder issues, you wouldn't have that difference by location where flown.

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    2. Maybe...it is also possible there were not enough data points to make a reasonable scientific conclusion.

      I can only tell you what my personal observations are. I personally have thousands of hours and have managed many Robinson's. I have been to the factory several times for both maintenance and pilot/CFI training. I was previously a FIRM defender of the product. I have seen a serious decline in the quality. To the point that I have major concerns about the safety of this helicopter. Is it all airframe? Nope, a majority of it is engine related.

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  5. Good comment about Lycoming piston engine in R44 Robinson helicopters . You seem like a very qualified expert . Would you feel safer letting your family fly in a turbine engine or piston engine helicopter . I’ve read comments by other experienced helicopteg pilots who refuse to fly in Robinson helicopters and refuse to let their family members fly in Robinson helicopters maybe because of way the rotor blades are hinged in non traditional manner . Thanks for your expert opinion .

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    1. Agree, but isn't the rotor head actually quite traditional in the correct sense of the word,. meaning not modern or contemporary or current?

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    2. Link to Good explanation on design of Robinson rotor head that can cause mast bumping with negative Gs causing failure of rotor head and cause blades to cut off tail boom:

      Are Robinsons Safe?

      https://youtu.be/weGnUmRrNKM

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    3. Although WBTV crash does not appear to be caused by mast bumping causing rotor failure, the link below is Another good video explanation of problems with Robinson rotor head :

      Copy and paste into browser

      https://youtu.be/XuXDtZjqbQw

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  6. Not sure how WBTV liability insurance coverers free ride along photographers from other media but understand several years ago WBTV required ride along photographs to sign a liability waiver to prevent lawsuits in case of crash . WBTV now operates FAA Part 91 and is not allowed to charge passengers for a ride in helicopter . Part 135 helicopter charter flight operators who used to lease to WSOC and WCNC are allowed to charge for riders but they already pay higher insurance for charter flights so they don’t require free riders sign liability waivers .

    Passengers may feel like helicopter operator is not willing to accept responsibility if requiring passenger to sign a liability waiver or operator is trying to save money on liability insurance premiums by using waiver .

    US Helicopters is a Part 135 helicopter charter fight company in Marshville NC below Charlotte who used to lease over 20 helicopters and pilots across eastern half of USA on a Min number of hours per month usage . Think WSOC and WCNC used to lease turbine helicopters from US Helicopters. I can’t recall if WBTV ever leased from US Helicopters.

    Point is FAA Part 135 charter flights like US Helicopters in Marshville have higher safety standards required by FAA compared to FAA Part 91 flights at WBTV.

    Most employees of companies that fly Part 91 company subsidiary owned aircraft like the Meteorologist probably don’t know difference in Part 91 and Part 135 safety standards and have no choice but to fly on company aircraft as part of their job . Part 91 is not necessarily less safe than Part 135 but licensing standards are higher on Part 135 charter flights so it typically costs more to fly Part 135 compared to Part 91. Part 91 is like a person buys their own aircraft for their own personal private used but are not allowed to charge for its use .

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    1. Why state "Part 91 is like a person buys their own aircraft for their own personal private used but are not allowed to charge for its use."?

      Are you unaware of Part 91 tour operators, and that the N835GC hard landing coming back from Grand Canyon was during a Part 91 tour?

      Are these just "I searched and have something to share" postings?

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    2. Thanks for your comments “Are these just "I searched and have something to share" postings?”

      My intentions were to post constructive comments based on my experience as an ATP/CFII pilot having flown tour flights under Part 91, Captain under Part 121 Airline and Part 135 Charter, Part 91 Corporate and private. . I own a hot air balloon operated under Part 91 for tours so I am aware tour operators operating under Part 91 can and do charge for their flights if nonstop within 25 miles from home base or departure point and passengers do not disembark anywhere other than departure point .

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    3. Thanks again for your comment . I should probably add that I also was a multi state licensed insurance adjuster and a pilot for the Part 135 company that leased 2 other TV stations in Charlotte turbine helicopters so I have some first hand knowledge not learned from internet searches and only intended to post constructive comments to help others understand there are differences in operating safety rules between Part 91 vs Part 135 .

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    4. Actual pilots with charter experience would be promoting the FAA's Safe Charter program if they intended to post constructive comments to help others better understand differences between operators.

      Links:
      https://www.faa.gov/charter
      https://www.faa.gov/initiatives/safecharteroperations/safe-air-charter-toolkit-pilots-consumers-and-media

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  7. Situational awareness in a helicopter can be lost instantly. Understanding the importance and impact of risk factors independently and cumulatively aid in successful flights.
    Considering "the purpose of the flight was to provide training for the staff meteorologist over a simulated news scene ... the pilot then performed three left 360° turns. During the third turn, the helicopter entered a rapid descent and impacted a grassy area."
    It is possible that the PIC was distracted from flying the craft while describing the procedure. The moment he failed to account for his aircraft systems, environment, terrain, flight purpose, etc. he lost situational awareness and rotated into the accident.

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  8. Good point about losing situational awareness in tight turns close to ground .

    NTSB reported Singer John Denver crashed his plane into the ocean killing himself when he was flying low , ran out of gas in one tank and turned his body to reach for the fuel selector switch located behind the pilot seat and inadvertently pushed a rudder pedal as he turned his body to reach the fuel selector handle which caused the plane to spiral into the ocean from low altitude before Denver could stop descent .

    A witness reported seeing the WBTV helicopter making 3 tight 360 turns while flying low then enter a 45 degree descent into ground which could have been caused if pilot turned his body toward the rear passenger to
    give instructions to rear seat passenger during the camera training flight.

    Another possible scenario is that pilot pulled too many Gs during the 3 tight 360 turns causing pilot to pull extra collective to stop descent or hold altitude causing blades to slow below the green arc min blade speed so pilot lowered collective and pushed nose down 45 degrees to gain airspeed and did not have Kerr to stop descent while settling with power

    If engine quit pilot should not have been in 45 degree descent but should have pulled nose up slightly to get air coming up thru blades as in autorotation to keep blades spinning at high enough RPM to have energy in blades to be able to pull collective near ground to stop descent .

    Sometimes pilots making several 360 turns during aerial photography will run into their own wake turbulence upsetting the aircraft and startling the pilot much like a boat making tight turns hits its own wake from previous turns. If pilot was startled by running into his own wake turbulence , he may have thought there was a problem with helicopter and decided to land immediately and simply descended too fast at 45 degree angle to stop inertia when pulling collective which is termed “settling with power” causing helicopter to hit the ground hard like the Dec 29 Grand Canyon tour operator who landed too hard injuring 7 passengers .

    Just some scenarios to discuss or consider .

    Sad for victims and families .

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    1. You decided that N835GC's hard landing was settling with power?

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  9. The FlightAware.com app can be downloaded and searched for N7904J to see the time, track, airspeed and altitude of the WBTV helicopter’s last flight .

    Per FlightAware the last report was at 11:55 AM at 900 feet at 8 MPH descending at 118 feet per minute .

    Cruise Altitude during flight from station to crash site was 1100 feet with ground speed as high 90 mph

    Once over practice site the track shows circling at 1000-900 feet altitude above sea level based on 29.92 uncorrected for local altimeter pressure.

    Charlotte Douglas is 748 feet mean sea level so helicopter could have been circling about 150 feet AGL above the ground which seems very low unless on approach to a landing.

    Speed is ground speed so circling from headwind to tail wind with constant airspeed will show faster or slower ground speed .

    The 8 mph ground speed could have been in a steep descent to ground with not much forward ground speed .

    The 900-1000 feet MSL altitude if corrected to 150 ft AGL above ground does not seem like much room to avoid hitting ground if pilot is distracted while in a steep turn while helping camera man in rear seat or if helicopter was upset thrown up or down in air by flying into its own wake turbulence while making 3 tight 360 turns before crash .

    Charlotte airport requires 2 or more minute separation between take off and landing of lighter and heavier planes to avoid lighter plane flying closely behind heavier planes to avoid the following plane being flipped upside down if caught in wake turbulence of heavier plane in front .

    Flight Aware has moving map showing the flight path and a graph and chart showing the time, altitude, speed and descent rate .

    Not saying helicopter was upset if it flew in its own wake turbulence but good example of wake turbulence from helicopter causing a plane to flip over in air while landing 20 seconds behind a helicopter can be seen at link below
    Copy and paste into browser :
    https://youtu.be/9YvL62T3Hm0

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    1. You do seem to understand that the 29.92-referenced ADS-B altitudes don't read true for the 30.38 inches Hg local baro reading at the time, but then you ignore that and speculate at length about "150 feet AGL seems low..."

      Adding the approximately +400 feet altitude correction for 30.38 changes your AGL discussion to 550 feet, not 150. Speculating from ADS-B data (which is known to frequently be in error) is really, really bad form when you go into making that "seems low / 150' AGL" assertion without correcting for 30.38 Hg.

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    2. Thanks for your comment. You are correct if local altimeter setting was 30.38 at time of crash the helicopter would be 400 +/- higher than ADS-B reported . When I quickly wrote the comment I did not have the altimeter setting for the day of the crash, so I made the comment “The 900-1000 feet MSL altitude “if” corrected to 150 ft AGL….thinking the word “if” corrected would indicate the 150 ft AGL could be inaccurate if not corrected for the altimeter setting at time of crash . I regret any misunderstanding or bad form if I did not make myself clear by using the word “if” nor take the time to research the altimeter setting for the day of crash and make the correction .

      On another note, a retired airline pilot / current charter pilot friend was interviewed by a reporter for a sister station about the crash. He told me the GPS showed a descent rate of 5000k ft per min just before the crash. He said he was shown and told the GPS showed 5000k descent rate . He thought the 188 ft per min descent rate reported by ADS-D was wrong . What is your opinion of the accuracy of the ADS-B descent rate of 188 ft per min on the last report?

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    3. It is incorrect to refer to 11:55 as the last ADS-B data point. Flightaware didn't capture the last two minutes of data. The NTSB report lists 11:57 for that reason. Adsbexchange captured more of the ending data sequence.

      Its way worse than you don't make yourself clear. Why add "retired airline pilot" who "was shown" GPS 5000k descent rate. All you had to do was look at Adsbexchange's last captured data point two seconds before 11:57 to find a -4480 ft/min geometric rate.

      No point in asking for opinions on comparing a data point from 11:55 to a geometric rate from two minutes later. Starting to look like an endless string of "I quickly wrote the comment" posts as a hobby to fish for replies.

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  10. Correction N7094J is correct number for WBTV helicopter to look up on Flight Aware app

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  11. 2 other fatal 2022 helicopter crashes one with unexplained descent and other descent into ocean after pilot slumped over due to medical condition

    Jan 14, 2022 Unexplained descent, Bell 407, N167RL
    https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104527/pdf

    October 26, 2022 Pilot medical event, Bell 407, N34BM
    https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106209/pdf

    Both surviving passengers were interviewed. One passenger was seated in the right rear cabin seat and the other passenger was seated in the left front cockpit seat when the accident occurred. The rear seat passenger stated that he was awakened from a “change in noise,” and saw the pilot “slumped over, “and the helicopter was descending toward the water.
    The front left seat passenger stated that the pilot told him that “he was not going to make it.” The passenger asked the pilot if there was a problem with the helicopter, and the pilot told him that it is not the helicopter, “it is me.” The front seat passenger saw the pilot slump over and was not responsive. The passenger reached over to the flight controls, retarded the throttle, and attempted to control the helicopter until water impact. The passenger estimated that he started to control the helicopter about 400 ft above the water. At some point during the descent, the passenger activated the skid-mounted float system.
    Both surviving passengers stated that after the helicopter impacted the water, and although they were seriously injured, they managed to get out and waited on top of the belly of the floating inverted helicopter. Both passengers stated that the flight was normal until the pilot became incapacitated

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  12. Side discussion, could this been created by a bird strike?

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  13. WBTV pilot Medical date has been changed from 12/2007 to 06/2022 in FAA records so pilot had a current medical at time of crash .

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  14. Robbrobb.com lawyers just got $15 Million settlement for 5 victims is the private plane crash in Eastern NC.

    NTSB just recommended private helicopter flights carrying passengers should have loopholes closed on Part 91 flights.

    https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-02-09/ntsb-seeks-close-part-91-revenue-ops-loopholes .

    Air Ambulance nurse injured while flying as employee was awarded $100 Million per lawyers at Robbrobb.com

    Meteorologist was employee of helicopter owner but family may can be awarded millions if helicopter owner was at fault .

    High Insurance settlements often cause safer operations .

    Insurance companies often have higher safety requirements than FAA .

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  15. “Seeking answers.’ Family of WBTV meteorologist killed in helicopter crash files lawsuit
    The family of Jason Myers, the WBTV meteorologist killed in a November helicopter crash along I-77 in Charlotte, filed a lawsuit Thursday that raises concerns about contaminated fuel and improper maintenance of the helicopter engine.
    Jillian Myers, the meteorologist’s wife, filed the lawsuit in Mecklenburg County Superior Court against Wilson Air Center, a maintenance facility, TTWN Media Network and iHeartMedia, which owned and operated the helicopter, according to the complaint.
    Pilot Chip Tayag also died when the Sky3 helicopter crashed near southbound I-77 on Nov. 22, 2022.
    The helicopter took off around after 11:50 a.m. for a training flight to simulate a news story, according to Myers’ family. It crashed seven minutes later.
    The Myers family lawsuit seeks damages to be determined by a jury.
    “The lawsuit is about seeking answers as to what caused the helicopter crash and to hold the responsible parties fully accountable for Jason’s death,” said Gary Robb, the lawyer for Myers’ family, in a statement Thursday night.
    The National Transportation Safety Board did not provide an exact cause for the crash in a preliminary report released Dec. 6.
    The helicopter performed three left 360-degree turns before rapidly descending and crashing in a grassy area near the southbound lanes, according to the report.
    The NTSB said Tayag communicated with air traffic control but never issued a distress call, The Observer reported. When the helicopter landed, there was no evidence of fire, the report said.
    The NTSB’s investigation continues.
    Robb is an aviation attorney based in Kansas City, Missouri, who was lead counsel for Vanessa Bryant after her husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant and her daughter, Gianna, died in a California helicopter crash.
    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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  16. Complete copy of lawsuit can be read at
    https://www.wbtv.com/2023/03/10/family-wbtv-meteorologist-killed-helicopter-crash-files-lawsuit/

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  17. Robb and Robb law firm is representing the meteorologist wife is same law firm that settled the Pilatus PC-12 crash in eastern NC for $15 M for 5 victims or $3M per victim before NTSB made final report .

    Robb law firm won $38 M for tourist injured in Grand Canyon crash .

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