Eurocopter Dauphin Jumps into Pothole

[BlenderPilot]

At the new state of the art Eurocopter facility somebody apparently forgot to make the underground cable covers strong enough. Almost brand new AS-365N3, bet the owner's pissed off . . . .

http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PPRuNe/EurocopterMVR1.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PPRuNe/EurocopterMVR3.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PPRuNe/EurocopterMVR4.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PPRuNe/EurocopterMVR5.jpg

[Efirmovich]

The "Eurocopter" banner doesn't look very secure either !!

E.

[Dangagan]

"Things Fall Apart"

[Vandal]

Potholy ****!!

[tegwin]

Pfft...Just use a forklif to stand the chopper upright, give it a quick polish and its good to go...whats the fuss about:}:eek:

[FH1100 Pilot]

Man, looks like traversing the ruts for the door tracks caused the right gear leg to collapse like McCain on a treadmill.

Eh- that'll buff right out.

[ShyTorque]

S'okay....I don't think anyone saw it..... :oh:

;)

[heli-mad]

:eek: ........amazing how much weight these blades will hold....

COMPAA PERIODSTICA ESTO, S.A. DE C.V....Mexico, thats the company that was waiting for their new pride and joy...:*

[misterbonkers]

i dont want that one - its got a scratch on it!

[206Fan]

i dont want that one - its got a scratch on it!

Yea il take the red one instead, no scratches on her :E

[BlenderPilot]

The "Eurocopter" banner doesn't look very secure either !! Now that you mention it . . . . that banner does look like another tragedy waiting to happen . . . .

[widgeon]

I wonder if the strap around the nose wheel was pre or post incident.

[Ash-n-ops]

Not even ONE careful owner !!

[JBL99]

Shop soiled ? Should I make them an offer ?!!!:O

[Senior Pilot]

I wonder if the strap around the nose wheel was pre or post incident.

Is that the tow bar that you're referring to?

[widgeon]

Doh , sorry I did not look close enough , would the other end of the tow bar be on the truck .

[BlenderPilot]

would the other end of the tow bar be on the truck .

Yes the towbar was attached to the truck, funny how they weren't using a proper tractor, and the mechanic was driving the truck, wish I could have seen his face as the thing started tilting!!!

[nathan_m]

:=check out those coning angles!

[heli1]

So I'm thick but is in this in Mexico at a Eurocopter facility or somewheres else ...like Grand Prairie? I know ...the barrier tape script appears to be in Spanish but there's a lot of Mexicans in Texas !!!

[ppheli]

Almost brand new AS-365N3

BlenderPilot - no jazzing up the story, now.... The subject aircraft is a 1993-build N2 Dauphin serial number 6458, not a sparkly new N3.

[HELOFAN]

"No thats not ours.... Ours never had a scratch on the side"

"So ladies and gentleman if you look to your left you will see our main hanger where we are currently re creating a crash scene for failure analysis investigations"

"So if it breaks a leg we have to shoot it?"

"Hey Frank... the mtce log book says... damaged & repaired at the factory"
" thats odd isn't it, what sort of damage would the factory do"


"No, I dont think you can retract the undercarriage whilst it is sitting on the ground....look..watch this"

"I told you, a big hole..a big one, does that look like we are going to get that down that little hole?..IDIOT !!"

"Hey Manuel the fruit basket is for you and its from the factory, the card reads....."we are sorry for your loss".."what loss ?"

'No way the AI is spot on, thats less than 100 degrees and its tumbling"

"I am telling you, it was about 4 foot high and had teeth like this, then it grabbed the right tire and started pulling it into is hole.....No I have not been drinking at lunch time"

HF

[BlenderPilot]

ppheli wrote:
BlenderPilot - no jazzing up the story, now.... The subject aircraft is a 1993-build N2 Dauphin serial number 6458, not a sparkly new N3.

You are talking about the OLD helicopter, same owner, also a Dauphin, same tail number, but different aircraft, this one had only 170 hours on it and only a couple of months use. Almost New.

[212man]

Yes - it's very clearly the N3 fenestron.

Strange that they've been towing 332s and 225s (as well as 365s and 155s) out of there for years, without mishap: I wonder what has changed?

[Whirlygig]

The weight of all those 332s and 225s (as well as 365s and 155s) gradually weakening the structure?? :}

Cheers

Whirls

[212man]

You're not really ppruning at 01:30 are you? :E

[peterperfect]

Sorry to ask but can anyone (in the know) clarify what actually happened, so we can all learn from it ?

A defective drain cover was mentioned at the beginning of the thread, but has the starboard gear stowed back into its bay, gone down the hole or broken off ?

Thanks

pp

[Blackhawk9]

And with Eurocopter with there wonderful spares support will say........ because you didn't order a horizontal stab or MLG in your spares package you will have to wait 6 months for new ones!!!!

[BlenderPilot]

Sorry to ask but can anyone (in the know) clarify what actually happened, so we can all learn from it ?A defective drain cover was mentioned at the beginning of the thread, but has the starboard gear stowed back into its bay, gone down the hole or broken off ?

The landing gear went down the hole, they got a crane pulled it out, checked that it was locked and put the aircraft back on its feet. Amongst the more important things that were damaged were the Rotor Head Starflex, Blades, and I hear the XMSN mounts, XMSN itself, mast and the whole rotorhead is under scrutiny, other than the obvious.

The owner had replaced his previous N2 with this N3 because he likes new things, so I am sure he is going to have a hard time accepting his repaired helicopter.

[tegwin]

Just out of interest, are all ground handling incidents like this treated as seriously as genuine in the air incidents?

Does it have to be reported as per a normal incident or could the company just opt to keep it on the hush and wheel it back into the hanger for some "tech work"

[Old Skool]

If it were the FAA they would not investigate, it it would be treated as an industrial accident. They are only interested if it's moving with the intention to fly, a couple of years ago an aircraft of ours smashed itself to pieces killing the mechanic, because it was being run blades turning but 'without the intention to fly' the FAA weren't interested.

[BlenderPilot]

Well it's now back on the air, and it only took 5 months for EC to repair it . . . . not bad considering the accident was their fault . . .

http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PPRuNe/EurocopterMVR3.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PPRuNe/EurocopterMVR4.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PPRuNe/EurocopterMVR5.jpg

[BlenderPilot]

And just to update, the helicopter was supposedly fixed, but it always kept some weird vibration, which I am told comes from the transmission coming in contact with the fuselage, so it wasn't repaired properly by Eurocopter and it's now being shipped to France to be repaired, the owner has spent more than half the time he's had the helicopter waiting for the helicopter to be repaired, and now he has to wait even more.

Then the other newest N3 here in Mexico arrived in August of last year and hasn't even flown once with the new owner because Eurocopter hasn't been able to deliver it because of an endless series of setbacks.

[Brilliant Stuff]

Words fail me.:confused::confused:

Thanks for the update though.

[Non-PC Plod]

" When I said you can't tow the aircraft without the right gear on, I didnt mean your flourescent jacket!"

[Noah Zark.]

"That's what happens when you try to push a utility truck with a helicopter!"