"Echoes of Kobe Bryant Disaster In Panama Helicopter Crash"

[ElPaso Pilot]

https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/ne...e-bryant-disaster-in-panama-helicopter-crash/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62494931

Video shows over the ridge and immediately into IMC.

Very quickly from there down into the trees.



From the comments:

The guy says initially “me quebré la mano… me quebré la mano” which is “I broke my hand… I broke my hand”. He then proceeds to ask someone of they’re ok, something like “está bien? Dmitry está bien?”. Can’t and don’t want to imagine the pain. I’m surprised he speaks so calmly, I guess it’s the adrenaline talking.​

 

[benyflyguy]

Saw this over on Reddit. You’d think If they fly there a lot that’s know to expect some bad stuff potential on the other side of that ridge. Talk about 180 seconds. I think that was less then 15.

 

[Kenny Taylor]

That was hard to watch.

 

[Bell206]

Word is the benefactor of the flight is a future presidential candidate. Scud running in mountainous terrain usually is not too forgiving. Too bad there's no way to slow down those pesky little helicopters.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Well, the pilot attempted the old 180, so good. He didn't climb, while in hilly terrain, bad.

 

[Flying Keys]

Well, the pilot attempted the old 180, so good. He didn't climb, while in hilly terrain, bad.

Probably should defer to the whirly-winged pilots, but to me that was a sloooow climb and it didn’t look like he had enough forward airspeed/ETL to safely execute a stable climbing maneuver.

 

[Velocity173]

I don’t think this accident has much in common with the Kobe Bryant accident other than an IIMC encounter that resulted in an accident. Two very different flight profiles and weather conditions. I’d be willing to bet both pilots had the same thought process though. “Just a little bit more and I’ll be home free.”