Accident: Sikorsky S76
Jan 26, 2020 · Calabasas, CA
NTSB numberDCA20MA059Event id20200126X41436
- 9
- Fatalities
- 0
- Serious injuries
- 0
- Minor injuries
- 0
- Uninjured
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s likely self-induced pressure and the pilot’s plan continuation bias, which adversely affected his decision-making, and Island Express Helicopters Inc.’s inadequate review and oversight of its safety management processes.
Source: National Transportation Safety Board. Record last changed Oct 28, 2026, 10:54 UTC.
Aircraft involved
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S76
- Registration
- N72EX
- Year built
- 1991
- Category
- Helicopter
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Operating rules
- Part 135: commuter and on-demand
- Defining event
- Enroute VFR encounter with IMC
Source: National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident database. Counts only; Voydar holds no names.
Nearest airports
Airports with a Voydar profile closest to the recorded position. Proximity only.
- Van Nuys Airport (VNY)11 nm (20 km) north-east
- Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO)12 nm (23 km) south-east
- Whiteman Airport (WHP)16 nm (29 km) north-east
This page restates the NTSB's public record. Injury figures are counts; Voydar does not hold or publish the names of anyone involved.