AS350 Helicopter Accident USA

[Rotorwork]

Another fatal accident this time captured on video,

 

It appears the pilot was trying to land on a dolley that moved (not chocked)

 

Fly Safe

 

R W

 

[MEDIA=liveleak]c8d_1448123557[/MEDIA]

 

 

[Robbo]

So close to that fuel truck.

 

 

[Rotorwork]

Another view

 

 

 

[pylon500]

Interesting observations;

 

•Unlike most crashed/crashing choppers, this one avoided doing the chicken dance for quite a while, just spinning stably on the ground,

 

•The fuel system, rotor head and transmission seemed to take some abuse and keep going,

 

•The first camera man seemed to sense something even while the pilot was still trying to land, as you can see him get behind a wall and even start heading further away just before the tail rotor strike,

 

•It looks like the pilot got thrown out just after impact (and killed by the rotating chopper), and the passenger was either incapacitated or did not know how to shut down the engine,

 

•Unlike most chopper impacts, the tailboom stayed attached for a long time, it's separation finally bringing the crisis to an end.

 

The above video shows how far the wreckage travelled before finally stopping.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Normally the rotor torque tips them onto their side. But this one remained upright. Seems the collapsed skids acted like outriggers to support it. Very sad outcome.

 

 

[Kamloops]

Hard to call that an accident.....more negligence.

 

But still very sad.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Hard to call that an accident.....more negligence.But still very sad.

Yes, well I didn't want to be the first to say it, but it does rather look that way.

 

Some years ago I was based in a remote area operating a corporate Jetranger. I lived in a beach-house on an island in the middle of a large bay and the hangar was just behind my house. The owner of the machine lived on another island about 20mins away and I was usually called at short notice at any time. It was a very corrosive environment so the machine had to be hangared even for short periods and not being a large person I found it very difficult to install the wheels and manhandle the machine down a couple of cement strips to the pad outside the hangar quickly enough to avoid disappointing the owner.

 

I devised a small railway that I could build with mostly local materials left over from building projects, all I had to order was the flanged wheels. By landing directly onto the carriage it was just a minute or so to roll it into or out of the hangar, I even built 'stations' for refuelling, arming (a lot of the operations were hunting, shooting, fishing, ceremonial, coastwatch and anti-poaching) and victualling. It rolled so easily that we made a video of my partner's 5 year old daughter rolling it in and out.

 

Landing on the carriage was a challenge especially in the afternoons due to turbulence from the sea-breeze blowing over the hangar and if you ended up unsteady in the hover like the above video shows it was best to move away, take a few deep breaths and come back for another go. Most carriages require a very accurate positioning of the skids, on mine it was within about 6"/150mm fore and aft and about the same laterally, and though I made them with kindly steel-faced sloped sides, it was critically important not to trip over the wheel guards which were inside the landing surfaces, like a central hump. The edges of the carriage had sloping skirts which ran within an inch of the ground to avoid having a trip or pinch point also. It looked sufficiently like one, that the aborigines called it the 'turtle'.

 

In that locality I didn't have the means to make an automatic locking system for the carriage so I made a pair of oversize drop-bolts, one each end of the carriage, which were painted in red and yellow stripes. When it was not locked the bolts protruded upward through the carriage about 6"/150mm. When it was locked they disappeared, so when you were doing your final walk-around before departure if you didn't see bright red and yellow warning signs then the carriage was safely locked.

 

Perhaps it was just because I made it and I'm also a pedantically cautious person, but I never had a problem with discovering I'd not locked it.

 

That's not to say we didn't have problems though. When I was due for annual leave we hired a line pilot to fill in for me. He wasn't a novice, having several thousand hours and among other places had experience in Antarctica, Peru, Saudi and with some quite challenging operations like Tuna spotting, offshore marine pilot transfers and powerline inspections.

 

I trained him in the use of the carriage before letting him loose of course and the first two times he rolled the machine out he failed to lock the carriage before boarding for engine start ... ! We always thought that at least the landings were safe because the carriage was locked on departure and left outside until the return.

 

While I was away he apparently didn't have any departure problems but did land on the carriage with it unlocked. Gladly he noticed it moving before he'd lowered the collective and flew off again to land alongside on the grass. He probably wouldn't have mentioned it except that most ops attracted a few indigenous spectators. What had happened was that the gardener had kindly decided to mow the grass around the helipad and had moved the carriage to trim the edges. He'd moved it back but didn't lock it again. The pilot just didn't notice the red and yellow stripes again.

 

I'm not pointing any fingers though, we can all be blind or deaf to very clearly obvious warnings when under stress or distracted. There's a well known YouTube video filmed from inside the cabin showing a pilot and pax landing wheels-up on a strip in the mountains, looks like Austria or Switzerland. The gear warning horn was blaring away for what seemed like minutes beforehand but he didn't notice it.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Saw a few interesting incidents with the helicopter operator at Shute Hbr, mainly trying to lift off with the battery cart still connected.

 

 

[Kamloops]

Ozzie.

 

How long is your prediction before its an accident report if the pilot is that negligent?

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Ozzie.How long is your prediction before its an accident report if the pilot is that negligent?

How long is a bit of string?

 

Quite funny watching the battery cart rolling down the concrete leading the Jetranger. Stops when it gets to the grass. The sheepish look from the pilot as he lands and unplugs it. Or if I was closer would run over unplug it and it's free beer at the bar that night.

 

Airport accident reports were only raised if injury or property damaged occurred incidents like above were the operators problem.

 

 

[facthunter]

Gust locks left in place . Gear pins. Ground carts. Pitot covers , Fuel caps, Oil dipsticks..Familiarity breeds contempt. She'll be right mate. Like hell it will. Nev

 

 

[Robbo]

I saw a student start taxing a Cessna with the Tail still tied down

 

He never passed his licence and went driving trucks, at least things are designed to be tired down there.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Some of the stuff you find on a daily runway walk. Fuel caps, oil caps and dipsticks, both oil and fuel,fuel sample tubes, oil bottles, rags, tail wheels and the odd bolt to name some.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I saw a student start taxing a Cessna with the Tail still tied down He never passed his licence and went driving trucks, at least things are designed to be tired down there.

Classic example was a concrete tie down block with a length of rope and frayed knot at the end, found in a Jesmond (Newcastle) backyard. Came from a Warrior based at Wallsend. Tip: Don't paint your call sign on the concrete block.