NBC Helicopter Crash Linked to 'Dead Man's Curve' Conditions

The NBC helicopter that crashed in Los Angeles, killing three people, may have been caught in a "dead man's curve"—a perilous flight condition where a helicopter has insufficient altitude and airspeed to perform a safe autorotation maneuver following an engine failure, industry experts have stated.

This theoretical area presents extreme difficulty for pilots attempting to salvage a landing during an emergency. "That's the worst place to be if you have a problem," Jeff Guzzetti, a former investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), told the LA Times.

While the exact airspeed and altitude of the Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil at the moment of the apparent engine failure are unknown, video footage of the incident shows the news helicopter hovering a few hundred feet above the ground while covering a bus crash. Standard procedure for engine failure in a helicopter involves autorotation, a technique that lowers the aircraft to generate rotor speed by forcing air upward.

However, a helicopter with minimal airspeed or altitude may struggle to achieve the necessary rotor speed for a controlled descent. "He's in the worst part of the height-velocity curve," said Jack Cress, a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot and a helicopter accident investigation instructor at USC's Aviation Safety and Security Program. "That is a dangerous place to be."

Audio from a video capturing the crash reveals an alarm and a whirring sound, potentially indicating a slowing engine. "You can hear something mechanical that is winding down in the background," Guzzetti observed of the video. "It does seem like something mechanical suddenly happened to the helicopter while it was in stable flight."

In the video, reporter Eliana Moreno expresses concern, saying, "Uh-oh," followed by, "Can you... you can't pull up?" The helicopter then descends rapidly and begins to shudder before the video feed cuts out.

The crash resulted in the deaths of pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno, and a pedestrian on the ground, Edy Gutierrez Mejia. A fire broke out at the crash site, requiring firefighters to extinguish the flames.

NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar described the video as the "most important piece of evidence we have recovered so far." He noted that investigators can hear "sounds that are consistent with the engine changing its speed, and we're also hearing tones that are being generated that are likely advisories to the pilot."

The NTSB and FAA are currently examining the wreckage, interviewing witnesses, and gathering surveillance footage from nearby buildings. The helicopter's maintenance logs, weather conditions at the time of the crash, and pilot training records are also under review. The wreckage will be moved to a secure facility for further analysis. A preliminary report is anticipated within 30 days, with a final report detailing the probable cause potentially taking up to 18 months.