Fire Official Says Helicopter Pilot Took Undue Risk
By not declaring an in-flight emergency, the pilot of a news helicopter that crashed at Van Nuys Airport increased the danger to people on the ground, a fire official said Tuesday.
Pilot Kris Kelley had lost all hydraulic power while she was flying for KTTV-TV Channel 11 over the Shrine Auditorium after Sunday night’s Academy Awards.
Fire officials said Tuesday she asked the Van Nuys control tower for a priority landing but didn’t declare an in-flight emergency, which would have prompted firefighters to mobilize around the landing pad.
Another news helicopter pilot who was escorting Kelley said she declined his offer to call for emergency crews.
After the crash, it was a cameraman, Aaron Fitzgerald, who dashed to the flaming wreckage and dragged Kelley and her passenger, cameraman Phil Arno, to safety.
Kelley’s decision “put more people at risk,” said Capt. Paul Quagliata, head of the Van Nuys Airport fire station, who also questioned why Kelley flew 15 miles back to Van Nuys instead of landing sooner.
“It’s like if you recognize the brakes on your car are out, you stop driving and get off the road,” Quagliata said.
Kelley, 33, of Thousand Oaks was in stable condition Tuesday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and unavailable for comment.
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