North Sea heli ditching: Oct 2012

[JohnDixson]

Eurocopter Power Train Design Staff

Given:

1. The two different failure modes of the main box.
2. Absence of a published retrofit design corrective action for the first ( I could have missed it ).
3. That after the first lower shaft failure, an incorrect technical assessment was made.

My guess is that there are some design guys/girls at Eurocopter that would love to only be worrying about things like oil filter attachment bolt material and pattern*. Excedrin Headache No 89 would be if they have to redesign and requalify a new shaft.



*Should have added the transmission foot cracks, too. ( That one should have been a major embarrassment to anyone at SA who remembers the S-61 station 290 transmission support cracking 10 year saga ).


Thanks,
John