First case of fatal crash confirmed in texting-while-flying case
Skift Take
Distracted flying is a new phenomena, and expect the use of electronic devices in flight cockpits -- allowed to pilots during level cruising phase -- to come under increasing scrutiny after this.
The pilot of an emergency medical helicopter flying over Missouri was sending and receiving text messages before a 2011 crash, the first time such distractions have been implicated in a fatal commercial-aviation accident.
Texting increased the likelihood of attention lapses and errors, Bill Bramble, a U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator, said at a hearing on the accident today. The safety board is meeting to assign a probable cause for the accident that killed four people, including a patient.
The NTSB documented 20 texts sent and received by the pilot before and during the flight, according to agency records.
The Air Methods Corp. helicopter crashed in a field after running out of fuel, according to preliminary NTSB reports. Use of electronic devices by pilots during flight was prohibited by company rules, according to the reports.
“This is a classic example of dividing attention in a way that compromises safety,” said David Strayer, a psychology pro
