R44 crash and burns in parking lot in Kendall, Miami

[mickjoebill]

A report says that it was conducting a maintenance test flight from an nearby airfield.
Reports from several eyewitnesses that it was on fire before it fell.

Helicopter Down In SW Miami-Dade, 2 Dead « CBS Miami (http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/04/03/report-helicopter-down-in-sw-miami-dade/)


mickjoebill

[funfinn2000]

Very Sad!!

[Soave_Pilot]

Rip both accupants, very sad.


Sounds like another post-crash fire. I wonder if that one was fitted with fuel bladders

[anti-talk]

Looking at the separated tail section (stobe light back) and the post impact wreckage I sincerely doubt they lived to see the post crash fire. It hit very hard.
not a pretty sight!
RIP indeed!

[Gemini Twin]

Good Lord, not another one!

[helihub]

Here is a closer photo before the fire really took hold

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BG8-QU_CYAAK3Be.jpg

[DreFlyer]

I have family members who live around the Tamiami airport and I go there often . . . may both of them RIP.

[x_max]

I am very sad to learn that this helicopter crashed and the pilot and passenger died.

I flew with the pilot in back in 2009 in that helicopter which crashed and he was a very experienced pilot... :(

[lelebebbel]

Wow, the guy in the orange shirt sure isn't scared of fire.

[anti-talk]

I think if you look carefully he is about to render aid to the person in the wreckage, both occupants were removed by someone before fire consumed the aircraft.

[md 600 driver]

The man wants a medal for his bravery

[FSXPilot]

He's either very brave or has very little imagination! Either way he's also very lucky it didn't go bang.

[Thomas coupling]

Poor sods. Nothing more heart rendering than being that close to fellow human beings in desperate need of assistance.
The guy in orange may be foolhardy, but at the time of extraction they didn't know it was too late, I suppose.

I find this picture very moving indeed. RIP.

[HS125]

RIP, and I agree the guy in the orange deserves a medal.

That tail rotor landed more than a hundred feet away from the rest of the helicopter.

If the tail-rotor (and possibly the tail rotor gearbox) actually separate from the aircraft in flight, can the R44 sustain that from a C of G standpoint? I know that proved terminal for a Jet Ranger in scotland some years ago.

Also, in forward flight, I wonder if that made entering an autorotation problematic or even impossible because of the resulting nose-down pitching moment?!

[ShyTorque]

A sobering picture; a terrible tragedy for all concerned. It certainly looks like the blades had little or no rotation at the point of impact.

[Robbo Jock]

Interesting comment in the report: "Some watched in horror with their cell phone cameras rolling". Obviously totally horrified.

[Scissorlink]

If the tail-rotor (and possibly the tail rotor gearbox) actually separate from the aircraft in flight, can the R44 sustain that from a C of G standpoint? I know that proved terminal for a Jet Ranger in scotland some years ago.

A NZ pilot in a R44 lost Tail Rotor gear box, blades etc....stabs stayed on,. flew for 20 odd minutes run it onto a grass airstriip.It can be done, just need to be lucky where it all departs :)

[helofixer]

If you look at the photo the aircraft was being tracked and balanced for the main rotor. You can see the orange tape down the side of the main rotor mast pylon. this tape holds the magnetic pickup wiring down the pylon and eventually into the cabin for track and balance. Not sure if that had anything to do with the accident as it seems from the picture that both main rotor blades are still attached.

On a personal note I worked with the deceased pilot/owner about 7+ years ago. He flew for the company I work for and was a damn good pilot and person. RIP Mark.

[topendtorque]

Helofixer, A mighty compliment Sir. Condolences to all concerned..

I did a couple of calculations and figured the resultant Cof G just inside, by guessing departed weight at 20 pounds and from station 330.

I don't have real details to hand and used raven II sample I had laying around. Gave me 2029 lbs at moment 188,000 or so.

This depends on MT Cof G. I always try to rig these things as far aft as possible MT of load. A nuisance sometimes with a light pilot, but there you go.

Not sure if that had anything to do with the accidentI think we would all hope it didn't.

tet.

I put the fuel at 130 lbs total and the crew at 200 lbs each with another 12 lbs of gear split fwd and rear seat.. fuel sits at 106" main and 102" aux tank.

[chopjock]

Does any one know if this R44 had the fuel tank bladders fitted?

[homonculus]

I would prefer to wait for the initial accident report.

Fire did not cause this accident, nor it appears did fire cause the occupants' demise. Bladder tanks would have made no difference as the occupants were removed we are told before fire consumed the aircraft. There have been examples of other types burning out, in particular 350s.

[fly911]

Very sad. Condolences to all family and friends.

[Vertical Freedom]

RIP :( gut wrenching to hear, condolences to surviving Loved Ones

[HeliKiwi500]

Witnesses point to mechanical problem before helicopter crash - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/04/3323047/investigators-moving-wreckage.html)

[anti-talk]

The Tail boom was severed, right by the strobe light , so the machine lost the last 2 - 3 feet of the tail boom, both stabilisers , gear box and tail rotor system.
It looked like a tail boom chop from a hard landing but appeared to happen in flight.
If a main Rotor pitch link failed (query track and balance) do you think a tail chop would then follow?? Just throwing it out there??
Also not sure if T & B kit was on the tail, the cable from that could also cause a similar outcome if it came loose.
Again just pure speculation!

[FSXPilot]

Why would you have T & B kit on the tail for a flight. You always balance the TR on the ground.