Tips for Airport Fire Department?

[gone birdy]

Hi all,

I fly a police R44 from an international airport that has only few helicopter movements.
Yesterday an airport fireman asked me what the specifics are for extinguishing a helicopter on fire. Happily surprised by the guys initiative I told him I would get back to him after thinking of some useful stuff to say.

Is there anybody that can give me some advise on the matter? Or is it as simple as just telling them;
to watch out for the tail and main rotor
how to open the cowlings
how to stop the engine and use the rotor brake
and how to operate the doors and seatbelts?Thanks for the feedback,
GB

[Gordy]

Turn off fuel valve BEFORE the battery.

[MSP Aviation]

Show him where the engines are on different types (i.e. .R22/R44/300C(Bi), 206, MD500, etc.). Show where the intakes are on turbines in order to be able to spray foam into them. I dunno. I imagine there is a company that could be contracted to do a training...

Perhaps a friendly reminder to airfield management that an airfield that has a fire department and allows heli ops will be liable if said FD doesn't know how to deal with heli-related emergencies.

[TiPwEiGhT]

Rotorbrake, doors, seatbelts, engine intakes, awareness and dangers of running helicopters/rotors, position of fuel shut-off valves and battery switches.

Ask them to spray gas extinguishers into engines instead of foam. I have seen someone go nuts with a foam unit before... was only a smokey engine that would have required some minor maintenance, but ended up being thrown in the trash due to the foam. If the aircraft is up in flames, go nuts with the foam!

[FFF]

A point to remember for the rescue part - after any fire is extinguished - is that a helicopter will tend to come to rest on its side if it was an uncontrolled landing (due to the high center of gravity). This makes extracting the occupants more difficult.

If the guys really want to be proactive, then training on a mock-up on its side could help them work out the best ways to tackle this.

FFF:ok:

[ericferret]

Not sure why anyone wants to spray fire extinguishant into an engine intake.

Most engine fires are the result of oil or fuel leaks on the external systems of the engine.
Spraying chemicals in the intake results in loads of smoke out of the exhaust with the fire keeping it all warm!!!!!!!

Few modern helicopters seem to have proper fire access doors to the engine compartment.
The only decent access seems to be around the exhaust pipes (not up them). Most airport fire trucks would not have a nozzle that would fit in this space.

[Revolutionary]

ericferret,

Spraying foam into the intakes is not done in an attempt to put out an engine fire; rather, it is done to try and block the air supply to a running turbine in order to stop it when it is unsafe to approach the aircraft and reach the fuel cutoff switch.

[MSP Aviation]

What he said ^^^.

If a helicopter rolls on its side it may shear rotors but the engine remains running and the stub of a rotor hub remains rotating. Spraying foam into the intakes is the only safe way to get at the occupants.

[ericferret]

The original post seems to be about an engine fire not a crash and goes on to discuss general access. Hence my comments. Nobody wants a ruined engine for a minor oil leak.

In the event of a crash and fire they are going to smother the whole thing.

[800]

If it is a proper "contact with the ground without the pilots authority" the only real consideration is the extraction of the occupants.

the insurance company can take care of the rest!

[Treg]

G'day Gone Birdy,

A couple of courses that may benifit are: Helicopter Landing Officer and Helideck Fire Fighter. Although these are specifically aimed at the oil and gas industry they would prepare fire fighters for all on-ground helicopter emergencies encountered at an airport.

Sorry I don't have details of training centers in the States, but Mr. Google should be able to help.