Sioux mounts a Scout!!!

[ericferret]

Doe anyone remember an accident at Middle Wallop in the 70's when an autorotating Sioux landed on top of a Scout which had just completed an autorotation on to very wet grass and had slid into the Siouxs landing spot?

ericferret

[996]

Yes I do, and have flown that Scout since, following repair. Why?

[ericferret]

A local historian in Hampshire has a record of all the aircraft accidents in the county going back to when pontius was a pilot. I was looking for information on the accident to Gazelle XW850 in 1973. While looking down the list I noticed that the Sioux Scout attempted mating was not listed. I contacted the gentleman in question and he was unaware of this accident.

What would be nice would be to have a date and the serial numbers of the aircraft involved.

I think the gods were smiling that day as injuries were minor. The Sioux crew must have used up one of their nine lives.

[OffshoreHeli]

I was there at the time, I think, it was Captain W***** in the Scout, He was taking over as Lynx flight commander. He was on a Lynx conversion with me and decided that he shoud practise engine off landings in the Scout in case he ever had a double engine failure in the Lynx, Good move eh! God we laughed, he was not impressed. The DCFI and a foreign student in the Sioux were completing a IHT or FHT.
This was in September 1981.
Try posting this on the military site.
JB
:ooh:

[Letsby Avenue]

You're not 'press' are you?? :hmm:

[ericferret]

No ex REME aircraft tech.

That date seems to late as I was out by then.

Cant see why the press would be interested in a 30 year old accident.

[996]

'W' might have been the 'student' but the Captain of the cab was SB.

[OffshoreHeli]

Yes it was SB. The date is correct I have just checked my log book.

[ericferret]

The date being correct had me doing a little head scratching as I was out 3 years by then.

Then the the now loose accumulation of cells known as the brain , remembered that I was at Wallop around then getting a bit of Gazelle hands on which the CAA wanted before they would issue me a type rating.

If anyone can pin the date down and supply the serial numbers it would be appreciated.

ericferret

[Big Bucks Bernie]

As a side item, here (http://avia.russian.ee/helicopters_eng/bell_207-r.html) is what the offspring should have looked like... ;)

[ericferret]

Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[996]

Posted elsewhere, Scout XP 908

[ericferret]

Many thanks for that 996.

Any offers for the date and the Sioux serial number???

ericferret

[996]

If I remember correctly [hmmmm] it was a Bell 47 G4A. I have no idea of the reg.
The crew were the DCFI and a foreign student [Quatar] and the comment overheard after the prang from the student to the DCFI "I s'pose this means I fail my FHT yes?"

[ericferret]

Thanks for that 996.

If it was one of Bristows G4A's then there appears to be a choice of two.

G-AXKM which was de-registered as destroyed 17.10.85, the destruction could have been any time prior to the de-registration.

G-AXKT whos c of a expired 28.09.1982 with no reason given.

As 47's also have the ability to rise phoenix like from a data plate it is possible that it could be another aircraft, but I doubt it in this case.
Due to the amount of damage and the military useage of the aircraft.

ericferret

[MPR]

Looking at my records I think it was G-AXKT (c/n WA.724 ex G-17-9) on 06-10-1981.

G-AXKM was destroyed at Redhill on 07-04-1983.

As an aside sister ship G-AXKO is still flying (based N. Ireland) I saw it late last year at Thruxton & it looks great still, G-AXKX is flying out of a base at Worksop I think, G-AXKU (now G-MASH) is based out of Elstree & G-AXKY is still on the UK civilian register, but currently without CofA.

Hope this helps.

[ericferret]

Many thanks to all who took the trouble to post.
I had an email from the AAIB with their accident report today, confirming G-AXKT and the date of 6-10-1981.

Thanks to all

ericferret

[Head Turner]

Yes, I was on the Board of Inquiry and I know all the facts, well as much as one can remember 30 years later.
I will gather up the data from the grey matter and give details tomorrow

[ericferret]

The AAIB report made me realise that the incident was more serious than I had realised, the survival of the 47 crew with minor injuries must have been a near miracle. Apart from landing on top of a whirling dervish a.k.a the Westland Scout the 47 also caught fire.

I suspect the grim reaper was on holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ericferret

[bell47]

G-AXKU (G-MASH)
To add to your notes, G-MASH is definitely at Elstree with a shiny new C of A, many replaced parts including a muffler kit; not forgetting some fab new avionics.

[Tail-take-off]

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/GImages/G-AXKO001.jpg

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/GImages/G-AXKS001.jpg

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/GImages/G-AXKW001.jpg

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/GImages/G-AXKX001.jpg

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/GImages/G-MASH001.jpg

[Peter-RB]

Resting at the mo taking in a little Golden Gargle prior to watching the Argies beat seven tricolours out of the Froggys, I suddenly realise that Bell Sioux you are all talking about must have mated well, for its offsprings must be the Gazzzzell except for the rear rotor ats almost the same profile.
Or is it the Golden Gargle that has clouded my view!.

Peter Rb

Vfr

[topendtorque]

flungdung
almost certainly helimuster, perhaps Warnervale.

I believe many parts were bought and assmebled there for dispatch to where several very hard nosed '47 experts workerd at the biggest Bell 47 temple of all, at VRD in the northern Territory.

I have it on good authority that at their height at VRD they were doing 23,000 hours a year with 23 machines, and 23 line pilots, two or three slaves and four or five engineers.

They say there is nothing like the crackle of five or six or many more 435's bursting into detonation, simultaneously, just before dawn.

Those machines were either British Bell's or Indian Augustas. I heard that they once bought some tranmissions ex the Blue Angels, removed from service because of "intensive Flying". It's rumored the pilots had a good bit of fun trying to emulate this "intensive flying"? bit. And that was before Ray-bans came onto the scene. Lots of "tally-ho" and "bandits in the trees your six o'clock", etc etc.

Fair dinkum the xmon's ranged from 22 hours to something like 75 hours.

Yeah, probably just jealous because the poms have a chance to immortalise themselves tonight in the only game of sportsmanship worth talking about.
all the best
tet

[topendtorque]

John Wainwright


Weymouth.

Budgies,
yes,
with the fixed mouth position,
YES.

congratulations to the Boks, commiserations to the Lions.