![]() ![]() Licensed as an instructor for single and multiple-engine airplanes and instrument flight, Katz is not specifically licensed as a pilot or instructor for helicopters, but he said the issues of judgment and decision-making have nothing to do with the type of aircraft. The Sikorsky made what appeared to be a “panic climb” at a rate of 1,406 feet per minute about 30 seconds before the helicopter stopped sending data, said Robert Katz, a Dallas-based commercial airplane pilot and certified flight instructor who has been flying since 1981. One aviation expert said he believes it was pilot error. He also had flight instructor and ground instructor certificates, records show. Originally introduced in 1977 for the offshore oil and gas transportation market, the helicopter has become a favorite for executive transport because of its spacious and quiet cabins.Īccording to FAA records, Zobayan is a veteran pilot, having first received his commercial pilots license in 2007. The pilot, identified in numerous reports as Ara Zobayan, was flying the twin-engine helicopter that can transport up to nine passengers. Residents and workers near the crash site reported hearing the engine of the helicopter struggling in the midst of thick and low clouds in the moments before it apparently plunged into the side of a hill. The crash occurred immediately after, she added. “When ATC (air traffic control) asked what the pilot planned to do, there was no reply,” Homendy said. The pilot reported that he was going to climb to avoid some cloud cover, Homendy said, then began a left-descending turn. The helicopter circled over Glendale while awaiting guidance from air traffic control, according to reports, then headed north toward Calabasas. The aircraft was apparently headed to the Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park, where several basketball games were scheduled that day.Īccording to flight records, the helicopter headed north of Santa Ana, generally following the path of the 5 Freeway up to the downtown Los Angeles area, then headed to Glendale. ![]() The crash was near Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street at about 9:45 a.m. The Sikorsky S-76B took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:08 a.m.
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