Michael J Brennan
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A willing pilot, a demanding crew and a night flight....
Final report, the use of tv lighting in the cockpit was a significant factor in the crash during a night flight of a reality series.
http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20130210X93918&key=1
Whilst this shoot was planned and included oversight by FAA, the cameraman was aware that the lights were an issue for flight saftey but apparently he did not recognise nor act upon the pressure the pilot was under.
Cockpit resource management was poor. Whilst this is the responsibility of pilot we are part of the cockpit team. There is no training liscence or experience required to make demands on a pilot for what is a very hazardous activity (low level night flight) the 30 second brief by the cameraman to an actor on operation of the light was inadequate and resulted in the pilot being blinded.
Whilst the Gopros were not the "A" camera they are very poor choice for low level light capture due to their inherent poor sensitivity.
For future jobs, suggest that a nite sun be written into the script, it gives a pilot the ground illumination point if reference needed for a high hover.
IR minicams are available that do not interfere with a pilots night vision.
If it is pitch black outside the window then shoot it on the ground with rotors running.
Without the benifit of onboard recording that survived this crash, would the use of TV lights been condidered a cause?
I ask this as the fatal ABC TV crash in outback Australia that occured at night was blamed on the pilot being distracted by entering data into his Nav. There is no mention in the accident report of the likely hood of the reporter in the front filming a piece to camera whilst airborn (a regular occurance) which would have had to have been lit.
Perhaps if more have been made of the dangers of (non approved) lights for night flights the jetranger accident would not have occurred.
Mike Brennan
Final report, the use of tv lighting in the cockpit was a significant factor in the crash during a night flight of a reality series.
http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20130210X93918&key=1
Whilst this shoot was planned and included oversight by FAA, the cameraman was aware that the lights were an issue for flight saftey but apparently he did not recognise nor act upon the pressure the pilot was under.
Cockpit resource management was poor. Whilst this is the responsibility of pilot we are part of the cockpit team. There is no training liscence or experience required to make demands on a pilot for what is a very hazardous activity (low level night flight) the 30 second brief by the cameraman to an actor on operation of the light was inadequate and resulted in the pilot being blinded.
Whilst the Gopros were not the "A" camera they are very poor choice for low level light capture due to their inherent poor sensitivity.
For future jobs, suggest that a nite sun be written into the script, it gives a pilot the ground illumination point if reference needed for a high hover.
IR minicams are available that do not interfere with a pilots night vision.
If it is pitch black outside the window then shoot it on the ground with rotors running.
Without the benifit of onboard recording that survived this crash, would the use of TV lights been condidered a cause?
I ask this as the fatal ABC TV crash in outback Australia that occured at night was blamed on the pilot being distracted by entering data into his Nav. There is no mention in the accident report of the likely hood of the reporter in the front filming a piece to camera whilst airborn (a regular occurance) which would have had to have been lit.
Perhaps if more have been made of the dangers of (non approved) lights for night flights the jetranger accident would not have occurred.
Mike Brennan
