20200126001589A

On January 26, 2020, at 0945 pacific standard time (PST), a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, N72EX,

Collided with hilly terrain near the city of Calabasas, California. The pilot and eight passengers

Were fatally injured, and the helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and fire. The helicopter

Was operated by island express helicopters inc. under title 14 code of federal regulations

(CFR) part 135 as an on-demand passenger visual flight rules (VFR) flight from john wayne-

Orange county airport, (ksna), santa ana, California, to camarillo airport, (kcma),

Camarillo, California.

NTSB go-team accident, FAA van nuys FSDO and aircraft certification support used to fulfill group participation.

Flight was a commercial on-demand 135 VFR only company designator isha. Company flight plan/following. Pilot used special VFR to transition through la area airspace.

ATC communications and radar data indicate the flight departed ksna about 0906 PST. N72EX proceeded to the north-northwest at an altitude of about 700 to 800 feet mean sea level (MSL) under visual flight rules (VFR). At 0920, as the aircraft neared the burbank class c airspace, the pilot requested to transition the area along highway 101. The current burbank weather observation reported instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions.

In response to the pilot?s request,

The air traffic controller advised that cloud tops were reported at 2,400 feet MSL and queried thepilot?s intentions; the pilot then requested a special VFR clearance (an ATC authorization to

Proceed in controlled airspace at less than VFR weather minima). The air traffic controller advised that the pilot would need to hold for a short time due to IFR traffic, which the pilot

Acknowledged. At 0932, ATC cleared the pilot of N72EX to transition the class c surface area following the I-5 freeway, maintaining special VFR conditions at or below 2,500 feet. The pilot

Acknowledged with a correct readback and climbed to approximately 1,400 feet MSL (600 feet AGL). In response to query, the pilot replied to the burbank ATC that he would follow highway

118 And ?loop around vny [van nuys airport]? To follow highway 101. ATC acknowledged and coordinated.

At 0939, as N72EX was passing west of van nuys at 1,500 feet MSL, the vny controller asked the pilot if he was in VFR conditions. The pilot replied ?VFR conditions, one thousand five hundred,? And the vny controller advised him to contact southern California terminal radar approach control (sct) for radar advisory services.

At 0945, the pilot again contacted sct and advised he was climbing above cloud layers and requested advisory services. The sct controller then

Asked the pilot his intentions, to which he replied he was climbing to 4,000 feet. There were no further transmissions.

Although the pilot reported intentions to climb, radar/ads-b data indicate the aircraft was climbing along a course aligned with highway 101 just east of the las virgenes exit. Between las virgenes and lost hills road, the aircraft reached 2,300 feet MSL (approximately 1,500 feet above the highway, which lies below the

Surrounding terrain) and began a left turn. Eight seconds later, the aircraft began descending and the left turn continued. The descent rate increased to over 4,000 feet per minute (fpm), ground speed reached 160 knots. The last ADS-B target was received at 1,200 feet MSL approximately 400 feet southwest of the accident site.

There is no evidence the pilot declared an emergency to ATC.

The aircraft was capable and certified for flight into IMC conditions. Pilot continued flight into deteriorating conditions.

This document may need to be amended as information is developed during the investigative process.