thanks for the info - keep it up, please!
Latest report is that the ping came from a local 5,300’ elevation. A nearby community of Mt Laguna is at 6,000’, and Cuyamaca Peak, also in the area, is 6,515’.
Either, the helo. was working fine, therefore pilot error, or the bird was breaking down, equipment failure, causing the crash.
Inclement weather would have contributed to a degradation in the five senses needed to pilot an a/c in deteriorating weather conditions.
Me: Expecting... a controlled flight into terrain scenario, much like the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash.