Bell 204B Crash Austria! / Bell 407 Crash U.S.?

[eivissa]

Sad news again...

A Bell 204B operated by Knaus helicopter crashed this evening while or shortly after logging concrete in the region of Salzburg. The 42-year old pilot was killed in this tragic accident.

[Ned-Air2Air]

Spoke with Roy Knaus this evening and as expected they are stunned. The pilot was a 5000 hr Swiss guy, aged 45. He had been slinging concrete and it was only a 2 min turn around for a new ski resort.

Roy said he had a 60ft long line on which was much more than needed for where he was working. According to what he was told by guys on the ground the helo had delivered the load of concrete and was heading back to reload when something happened, as he dumped the bucket and then went down.

Thats about all he knows at this stage as the ground crew up there have been talking with the Police all evening.

Our thoughts are with Roy and all the guys and girls at Knaus Heli / Heli Austria. :sad::sad::sad:

Ned

[eivissa]

AKTIVNEWS Einsatzdokumentation 2010 - 23.07.2010 16.45 Uhr Transporthubschrauber in unwegsamen Gelände abgestürzt.(SL/ JO) (http://aktivnews.de/z_einsatzbilder_2010/thumbnails.php?album=1057&page=1)

[skadi]

In that weather even birds are walking.

skadi

[henra]

Hmm, I may be wrong or it got lost after impact. But I don't see anything of the 'upper deck' on that 204, i.e. Engine, Transmissiion, Rotormast...
Tail snapped off directly behind the cabin. Cabin relatively 'intact'.
A bit mysterious condition of the wreckage

Will be interesting to see the cause of this. Doesn't have to be weather related if I look at the wreckage.

[hueyracer]

Seems to be a slopy and hilly area there.
Maybe (just guessing) he tried to do an emergency landing/autorotation, and the heli started rolling down the hill...

We will have to wait for the report of accident investigation....

[Phil77]

henra:
Hmm, I may be wrong or it got lost after impact. But I don't see anything of the 'upper deck' on that 204, i.e. Engine, Transmissiion, Rotormast...
Tail snapped off directly behind the cabin. Cabin relatively 'intact'.
A bit mysterious condition of the wreckage

Will be interesting to see the cause of this. Doesn't have to be weather related if I look at the wreckage.

I don't know what you're looking at, but starting at picture No 2 you can clearly see the rotormast... as you stated, the tail broke off and might have taken the engine with it - what conclusions are you implying, because I can't see anything on those pics that couldn't be explained as damage from impact, but that's just me?
Oh and doesn't the transmition sit underneath the rotormast that is sticking out of the roof? In which picture did you expect to see it, since the cabin is largely intact?

Sorry, not picking an argument here, just wondering where you made those observations.

P.S. Transmitions have been known to depart and take anything out in their way when the blades impact - still nothing 'mysterious' about it.

[henra]

but starting at picture No 2 you can clearly see the rotormast... as you stated,


You are right. I was mislead by the pictures showing the missing fairings in front of and around the Mast and the 'naked' appearance of the upper deck. Looking at picture N° 2 it seems indeed the Mast and Transmission ist still there.

Still the wreckage doesn't shout neither CFIT nor LoC in IMC to me. Doesn't look like a very high energy impact to me.
Maybe wrong though.

[snotcicles]

Does anyone know which side of the 204 the pilot was flying from? The left hand side of the cabin looks quite intact. Do they longline with mirrors or vertical reference through the bubble door on the left side?

[hueyracer]

I am not sure about this case-but all Bell helicopters i have flown until now had to be piloted from the right seat-because all instruments and lots of switches are arranged for the right seat only...

[Gordy]

I am not sure about this case-but all Bell helicopters i have flown until now had to be piloted from the right seat-because all instruments and lots of switches are arranged for the right seat only...

Most, if not all mediums in the US that are used for utility flying are set up to be PIC from the left seat. Both our Huey and 212 have gauges etc built into the left door.

[SuperF]

any of the old Bell singles can be flown LHS or RHS. 204, 205, 206, even 212, 407, can be. pilots choice really. Pics of the 204 half way through show it set up with left hand bubble door, so you could guess it was flown that side, then again maybe just a file photo.

Xmsn, mast, head, and stab bar look still attached, i think i can make out one blade still attached. xmsn has pulled slightly out as per normal crash into trees, normally comes out even more. tail looks in three pieces, chopped just forward of vert fin, and just at back of baggage compartment. could have been blade coming down through them as strikes are in LHS with damage out RHS, then again could all just be speculation and thats not good.

lets let the accident guys do their job to find out what happened and leave the familys and company in peace.

[RVDT]

any of the old Bell singles can be flown LHS or RHS. 204, 205, 206, even 212, 407, can be.

Super F,

Really? Not unless there is an approved mod or STC that covers it. I know for a fact that a B206,B205 and 212 is RHS only out of the box. As for slinging from the LHS you would need a manual release mod at least to be approved.

The RFM is the definitive document here under "minimum crew".

[SuperF]

RVDT. exactly and there are a number of mods and STC's out there that allow it... and as previously stated most Bell Mediums I've seen are flown LHS.. especially on utility work.

[hueyracer]

Maybe there are different rules "oversea" than in "JAR-County"...?