The thousands of helicopter flights that are carried out every day in the world demonstrate the reliability of a proven technology for decades.
Therefore, as with any aviation accident, you have to investigate even the smallest detail to avoid future catastrophes.
The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) is an independent government agency that is responsible for the investigation of civil air accidents (among other tasks) and is responsible for investigating the helicopter accident in which Kobe Bryant died.
Although the first official report of the accident will be issued in about 10 days, some very revealing data is already being known.
The last thing we have known is the lack of the GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System) in the Sikorsky S-76B in which the basketball star flew.
A system that uses a radar capable of knowing exactly the height and position of the ship relative to the ground.
The radar emits a wave pulse and measures the time it takes to make the round trip to know the distance the plane or helicopter is from the ground.
The system uses this information to alert the pilot of the aircraft of different risks such as a very steep descent rate, the proximity of the ground itself or a warping angle that is too large, among others.
GPWS or EGPWS (an enhanced GPWS with GPS) are mandatory on all commercial passenger airplanes and is considered as a very important equipment for night flights or with poor visibility.
The system guarantees a safe separation from the ground and an appropriate configuration of the aircraft (with the landing gear down and the flaps deployed) on the landing.
As for its mandatory helicopters, the NTSB has the GPWS as recommended equipment for medium and large-sized helicopters after an accident in 2004.
The only ones obliged to do so are ambulance helicopters.
When we think about the investigation of an aviation accident immediately our mind leads us to find the black boxes.
These devices that collect flight data and cockpit communications are also not required in helicopters of this type and the Sikorsky S-76B of Kobe Bryant‘s accident did not equip it, according to Bloomberg.
This slows down and greatly complicates fieldwork to clarify the facts. The final report of the NTSB on the accident is expected to be issued within 12 to 18 months.
Source: Elespanol
