View Full Version : Helicopter pilot has lucky escape
Scant details from BBC, anybody any more info? Glad to see Pilot got out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7403402.stm
A helicopter pilot escaped unhurt when it crashed and burst into flames in a field in Greater Manchester.
The incident happened close to Walshaw Road, in Tottington, near Bury, just before 1500 BST on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman said: "The helicopter was on fire for a short period and no one was hurt."
The Air Accident Investigation Board has been informed and will conduct an inquiry into the events surrounding the incident.
JTobias
15th May 2008, 16:44
As far as I know it is a brand new Robinson R44 (G-LAVH) first registered in April 2008!!! I believe it was going in (or out) of the Bolholt Country House Hotel in Bury, Manchester where it is registered.
Don't have any details of the circumstances, but I have been into the HLS and it is very tight!!!!
Glad to hear that everyone is O.K. which is the main thing.
Joel
Non-Driver
15th May 2008, 17:45
http://www.burytimes.co.uk/display.var.2274443.0.helicopter_crashes_in_bury.php
Didn't he teach himself to fly helicopters?
SASless
15th May 2008, 19:51
Sikorsky did.....don't know about Sikorski.
AviatorAtHeart
15th May 2008, 20:54
Didn't he teach himself to fly helicopters?No, that was Hogg ...
manfromuncle
16th May 2008, 17:21
Burst into flames on impact?! Just like the movies.
kevin_mayes
16th May 2008, 19:06
At least the tails re-usable??? - did it land/crash in that position?
jellycopter
16th May 2008, 19:42
Seems a bit unusual for a Robbo prang this one. Remained upright and no rotor strike on the tail boom. Also the rear undercarriage legs look substantially intact.
So........with my amateur AAIB investigator hat on:-
No really heavy vertical impact.
No significant RRPM droop.
No significant drift on touchdown therefore no dynamic rollover.
None of the usual Robbo accident causes.
Seems he may have been a bit unlucky for the outcome to be so drastic, to the helicopter at least. Glad the pilot's well enough to let us know what happened.
JJ
helimutt
16th May 2008, 19:49
When it all comes out in the wash, 'Hero helicopter pilot averts disaster. A brand new Helicopter which developed a fault leading to a fire onboard, was landed safely by the pilot on the day it was delivered. Sources close to the flames think it was a leaking fuel pipe which started the blaze, the pilot being skilled enough to steer clear of a nearby school, health club and stables, landing well clear of anyone preventing further injury or damage':ok:
Ok so some artistic licence shown in the above but glad to hear he's ok. Interested to find out what really happened here though.
ShyTorque
16th May 2008, 20:08
"Gid away from that thang, Hogg!"
manfromuncle
16th May 2008, 21:27
Notice half of one of the blades is missing. That's very rare in a Robinson crash, even when a tailboom is severed, or it strikes the ground, the blade is usually badly damaged but intact.
rtrnewboy
16th May 2008, 22:15
probably melted in the heat
Heli-phile
16th May 2008, 22:37
A crashed robinson with a tailboom and blades still attached!!.
Even with the 'good' Exchange rate that still adds up to a high hourly rate for a days flying.
Intrigued as to the cause, very pleased to hear no one injured:ok:
firebird_uk
17th May 2008, 10:10
As we write there's undoubtedly an insurance broker carefully highlighting clauses that minimise or negate their financial liability!
VfrpilotPB/2
17th May 2008, 11:29
The big thing is that the pilot is still able to speak and give info as to what happened, No one seems to be hurt possibly with the exception of the insurance company who will be paying the bill.:ouch:
But it could be somthing so simple that caused the prob, my local rag suggests the pilot got up to about 30/40 feet and then aborted, I suppose it will be explained eventually;)
Peter R-B
helicopter-redeye
17th May 2008, 18:55
The 44 engine is fed by a semi rigid fuel pipe with a union junction that can undo and hence leak fuel on the underside of the engine. If this spat fuel (and it comes out in fair volumes as the junction nut loosens) onto a hot exhaust it could ignite. Thus you have the start of a fire on the ground. In flight the fuel being lost would go down and backwards away from the hot areas. If the UJ undid in flight then when hovering and landing/ cooling down, you may have the chance to get ignition.
manfromuncle
17th May 2008, 19:57
Where's the picture gone in this thread???
helimutt
17th May 2008, 20:27
Hey Redeye, you using that IR yet or what?:hmm:
Pigeon-dodger
20th May 2008, 10:25
As we write there's undoubtedly an insurance broker carefully highlighting clauses that minimise or negate their financial liability!
Technical point but Insurance Brokers act for the client not the Insurance Company....supposed to safer to use a broker as they have similar interests to the client if that makes any sense. They want to pay claims in order to keep clients.