EXPLOSION in HELICOPTER at Essendon Airport

[VH-XXX]

Just hitting the papers now.... feel free to update if you have info.



A PERSON has been injured after an explosion at Essendon Airport.

It is believed a gas cylinder or canister exploded in a helicopter area at about 4pm.

The injured person is being treated for an abdomen injury which may have been caused by flying shrapnel.

[MightyGem]

A bit more here:
Man hit in groin with flying gas bottle - Analysis (http://wotnews.com.au/like/man_hit_in_groin_with_flying_gas_bottle/4258227/)

A 26-year-old man has been hit in the groin by a flying gas bottle after it shot off a helicopter at Essendon Airport this afternoon. The bottle broke the man's pelvis and left his groin cut and bruised when it darted off the aircraft about 3.45pm. An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics gave the man "significant pain relief" before taking him to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.

She said it was not known how the accident occurred. An airport spokesman refused to comment..

[plasticAF]

"bruised groin" :bored:
"significant pain relief"
NO KIDDING!

Hoping nothing permenantly damaged (including his pelvis)

[anon1972]

Ouch....anything happen to the aircraft?

[Loose Mast Nut]

There are not many groups there that would use compressed gas!!

Police, Ambulance, Rotor Care, Bristow and Helicorp?

Anyone care to state what type of machine it was?

How does a Nitrogen Bottle explode?

[ShyTorque]

Was it Nitrogen though?

More likely to have been Oxygen, bearing in mind the role of the unit.

[John Eacott]

My initial thought was the float bottle in a 212 or 412, which (IIRC) is nitrogen. With 3000+psi it would have been a nasty incident.

I wouldn't have expected any of Helicorp's operations to require O2?

[fadecdegraded]

The way i read the article it said a gas shot off a helicopter, just wondering if the gas bottle came from somewhere else and hit the helicopter and pilot, maybe i.ve got it wrong but whatever caused it i would like too know so i don,t do it.

[Loose Mast Nut]

John, you sound like you have some local knowledge.

My immediate thoughts were that the bottle installed in one of the 212/412's was being topped up and structurally failed in this process.

However the Burst Pressure of the bottles is well in excess of the transfer equipment limitations, as well as the original bottle limitations.

Or did the valve fail or damaged, and the bottle commence an uncontrolled acceleration until stopped by some poor chap?

I gather this is either an Australian 412 or Helicorp 212 ?

[ShyTorque]

My reference to oxygen was probably incorrect - I misread the content, aplogies. :oh:

[John Eacott]

No "inside knowledge" but a bit of time in 212/412, plus experience of overpressured float bottles :uhoh:

I've just spoken to someone who was there at the time, and the float bottle was being removed when the valve let go for reasons yet to be resolved. Most of the force was into the airframe, but the young engineer received groin injuries and was knocked to the concrete floor and hit his head which then split his ear as well. He is expected to make a "full recovery", but from injuries that you and I would probably rather avoid in the first place :eek: It was a Helicorp machine, not Australian Helicopters.

I stress that this is second hand gen: the ATSB report will be the definitive source of information.

[Sir George Cayley]

Can any of our female readers offer a Kiss it Better service?

Sir Groin Cayley

[piggybank]

I have been following this one with interest, as I maintain a 212 with floats in a remote area. The nitrogen cylinder has been known to fail at the neck and firing mechanism in the past, but surely if it was being removed all the pressure would have been released.