USCG Helo mishap

[NRDK]

USCG Helicopter Crashes At Arcata - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento (http://www.kcra.com/news/23311168/detail.html)

Glad all safe.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --

http://www.kcra.com/2010/0429/23312854_640X480.jpg

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crashed Thursday morning at Arcata Airport, but officials said the three aviators aboard weren't seriously hurt.The crew, from Air Station Humboldt Bay, was training when the crash occurred just before 11 a.m., the Coast Guard said.The three crewmembers were examined by medical personnel.The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the crash.

[WylieCoyote]

I know we're all supposed to "wait for the inquiry" but I'm bored, so here goes, heavy landing whilst practising eng failure of some kind led to undercarriage failure?

[mfriskel]

I would lean more towards LFE, but the USCG safety guys will know and if they think we need to know they will tell us.

[Gordy]

Gleaned from another site:

The rumor is loss of tail rotor effectiveness. CG calls it ULY (Uncorrelated Left Yaw).

[dipperm0]

What about an impact on the RH landing gear due to a tentative of drifted running landing during a loss of tail rotor control ( actual or simulated)...

[heli-cal]

I would lean more towards LFE, but the USCG safety guys will know and if they think we need to know they will tell us.

They should explain, as the public is picking up the tab and this asset is now out of service...

[Hummingfrog]

If that had been an offshore N Sea Dauphine I would probably put the cause down as the captain forgetting to leave his wallet in his locker - hence too much weight on the right hand side causing the undercarriage to collapse:E

HF

[WylieCoyote]

How long are we likely to be waiting for some sort of explanation then? Weeks, months?
Anyone on here had LTE/LFE in a Dauphin and care to pass on their wisdom?

[Hedge36]

You know, that's the sort of been-there-done-that that I most appreciate about this place.

Thanks.

[heli-cal]

Sorry heli-cal, but that's totally and completely incorrect.

Not until the Mishap Analysis Board is complete (to include all Human Factors, Engineering, and other inputs) and the findings signed and published, they sure shouldn't, and indeed are prohibited from doing so. There are extremely good and time-tested reasons for the procedures that are in place.
They've disclosed all the information they're required to at this point and all they're going to.
Take my word for it.

I was only referring to the fact that there should be complete disclosure about this accident, not about the timescale for that disclosure.

[WylieCoyote]

Um....Lifting

Cheers interesting reading,unfortunatly I don't get to practice nasties like LTE in a sim but have always been made aware of the symptoms and situations to watch out for.
I'm pretty good at waiting to so look forward to the findings. Incidently has anyone else noticed that the amount of damage (other than that to the main rotor blades) is very similiar to that of the N3 that 'fell over' at the factory, kind of suggests a relitively low speed event? Or I could be well wide of the mark again and it's just that the Dauphin is as hard as nails!

[Old Man Rotor]

Chaps.

Why are you concentrating on LTE (or your own terminology of the same)??

It would be very helpful to know what the aircraft was doing moments before the end result.

If they were undertaking multiple One Engine Inoperative circuits and landings, that right hand side wheel accepts a significant amount of impact energy followed by the left.

I have seen the two wheel halves retaining bolts “stretched” and then the inner tube was squeezed and the tube deflated whilst the aircraft was undertaking multiple high speed (read energy) arrivals.
The approach was normal until the run on landing (with a flat tire) of the last circuit.

Fortunately in our case the undercarriage withstood the impact and subsequent drag on the runway.

It could have easily overstressed the undercarriage structure and then our picture would be similar to the above.

But you are correct, the CG won’t publish the findings for many months.

[WylieCoyote]

Um...lifting

Fair comment, lets wait and see for the official verdict. Afterall anyone of us could find ourselves in a similiar situation.

[Check 6]

Hmmm, if you are not a U.S. taxpayer I don't think that you are "owed" anything. :=

The investigation could take from 3-9 months.