5-year-old girl likely caused helicopter crash

[HeliHenri]

"A billionaire business owner who died along with four others in a 2010 helicopter crash allowed his 5-year-old daughter to sit on his lap in the co-pilot's seat where she apparently kicked the flight controls and caused the accident, according to federal investigators."

5-year-old girl likely caused helicopter crash - New York News | NYC Breaking News (http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20070387/5-year-old-girl-likely-caused-helicopter-crash)
.

[Aesir]

hmmm..

That´s convenient but not very likely.

[krypton_john]

It's such a specific explanation - one can only assume they've based it on some evidence?

On the other hand, it would not be hard to show that the passengers were carried in the fashion described - which is pretty bad. Who would walk from their job because they refused to carry out such a flight?

[Hedge36]

"The ranch foreman who assisted in loading the helicopter reported that the pilot was restrained with his lap belt and shoulder harness, but he was unable to see how the helicopter owner in the left front seat and the female child seated on his lap were restrained. He did note that on previous flights, the helicopter owner would strap the child on top of him."

NTSB Report (http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20100214X92140&ntsbno=WPR10FA133&akey=1)

[fadecdegraded]

Even if this is the case the thread title "5 year old girl likey causes crash" is a bit harsh.
The 5 year old girl would not have been the cause it would have been the "responsible adults" that were in company.

[500guy]

Bingo. Dont blame the girl for being inquisitive. It's dads fault.

[Aesir]

Dudes? Has none of you been instructors? No way a 5yr will overcontrol a CFI. Bull**** if there ever was one.

[Hedge36]

Dudes? Has none of you been instructors? No way a 5yr will overcontrol a CFI. Bull**** if there ever was one.


If he was flying as a CFI, I could see him being primed for action at all times.

If he was in the habit of letting Boss Man do whatever the hell he pleased in the cockpit, as appears to be the case, I can easily see him letting his guard down enough to overreact when the collective was shoved to the floor at speed.

[rotorrookie]

"Eurocopter helped the NTSB investigate the crash and ran simulations that concluded that only a rapid down and then up movement on a control called a "collective" could have caused the accident."

hmm smells fishy :=

[Shawn Coyle]

Read the NTSB docket - there's an interesting rebuttal from the company that owned the machine.

[212man]

Read the NTSB docket - there's an interesting rebuttal from the company that owned the machine.

Very interesting indeed!

[Dynamic Roller]

Here (http://dms.ntsb.gov/public%2F49000-49499%2F49190%2F498951.pdf) is the statement in the NTSB investigation docket from SGA.

[S76Heavy]

Nice rebuttal.

Perhaps a case for the Mythbusters, as there seem to be too many loose ends and vested interests preventing them from being followed up..

[heli-cal]

I would be surprised if the company which owned the aircraft and who's people died in the crash didn't issue a legal challenge to the report.

[Helinut]

That docket read persuasively to me.

It is relevant to look at EC's track record (and indeed other manufacturers) to do with previous incidents where alternative causes of accidents or incidents are raised.

Partiality may be explicable in the adversarial arena of legal proceedings preparation, but it does not help in an impartial investigation of cause. The manufacturer is in a powerful position for several reasons; it sometimes requires a steely resolve from the Official Accident Investigator to arrive at the truth,or close to it.

It is a big ask to take on a company backed by 2 governments: I hope the aircraft owners have deep pockets.

[msmfi]

NTSB WPR10FA133 | NTSB Materials Laboratory Examinations | Main Rotor Blades
"No indications existed of preexisting damage such as fatigue cracking on any of the main rotor blade pieces examined."

vs.

NTSB WPR10FA133 | Service Group of America Submission
"What would occur if the leading or trailing edge became delaminated causing a significant disruption in normal aerodynamics?
It is our belief that this occurred prior to the aircraft arriving at the accident area, and that is why the pilot was traveling at extremely low altitudes and then slowing to what appeared to be a set up for landing, which is where the tail strikes occurred according to all the eyewitness accounts."

Whom would You believe ? ... a serious question.

[Thomas coupling]

I may have missed it but where does it say they found the remains of the girl in the pilot section of the cockpit?

[handysnaks]

I don't think it does (in fact it doesn't seem to mention any of the crew/passenger locations after impact). The report uses the statement of the Ranch Foreman who saw the young girl sit on the owners lap!

[OvertHawk]

knowing what i do of Eurocopter (which is quite a lot), i would not trust them as far as i could throw them in a case such as this... Their involvement in any accident or incident investigation will be driven 100% by protecting themselves and shifting blame and responsibility onto others.

OH