Melbourne Olympic Park bingle

[Squeaks]

Pilot's lucky escape (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/pilots-lucky-escape-after-chopper-crashes-at-westpac-centre/story-fni0fit3-1226751993594)

A PILOT commuting racegoers to and from Flemington has walked away with minor injuries after her helicopter spectacularly crashed at Collingwood Football Club's Olympic Park base.

The chopper, used to transport cashed-up punters and celebrities, plummeted to the ground after she lost control not long after take off at 6.30pm today.

The helicopter, which did not have any passengers on board it, spun and damaged a car before crashing back onto the oval.

The pilot was treated at the scene for minor injuries after walking away from the wreckage of the helicopter.

She was taken to the Alfred Hospital by ambulance for observation.

Witness James Sharman said he heard the crash from his East Melbourne apartment.

"I was just on the balcony and I heard a big bang and I didn't know what it's was. It's good to know no one was hurt," the 27-year-old said.

Three fire crews doused the helicopter with foam to smother the fuel leak and a small fire and were remaining on the scene.

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2013/11/02/1226752/002760-c41d548a-4399-11e3-8139-2fc28a7acf56.jpg

http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2013/11/02/1226752/011377-b9ebe9cc-439e-11e3-9370-fad865867213.jpg

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/11/02/1226752/002814-1daf16c8-439a-11e3-9370-fad865867213.jpg

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/11/02/1226752/004994-22f42bbe-439a-11e3-9370-fad865867213.jpg

[VH-XXX]

By golly that crash would have screwed up the operation if it happened earlier in the day. They operate at about 2 arrivals and departures per 5 minutes so the flow-on effect would have stuffed things up dramatically.

Certainly sounds dramatic, plummeting to the ground shortly after takeoff.. Reads like she has no idea how to fly, but yet she would have just dropped off a number of passengers. Great journalism.

[spatialzombie]

Minor damage - it'll all buff out...

[Rotor Work]

Bit of an update from ABC
Helicopter ferrying Victoria Derby spectators crashes in Collingwood Football Club oval in Melbourne - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-02/chopper-crashes-on-collingwood-training-oval/5066136)

A helicopter working to ferry people to and from the Victoria Derby races in Melbourne has crashed at the Collingwood Football Club's training oval.Police say a 45-year-old pilot from Mornington is lucky to be alive after flipping her chopper on take off.
Acting senior sergeant John Alexovski says a bystander dragged her out of the chopper after it flipped and that she was "very fortunate".
"It could have easily been a fatality," he said.
Acting senior sergeant Alexovski says the pilot is suffering from shock, has minor injuries to her hands and is recovering in the Alfred Hospital.
He said it was lucky no one else was around when the chopper came down.
Fire crews have sprayed the helicopter with fire retardant and police have begun an investigation into the crash.
Police say a rotor came off the helicopter during the accident, flew through a nearby marquee and damaged a nearby car.

[Fun Police]

glad she is ok!

it's hard to tell from the photos but it looks like a longranger and not a 407, correct?

fp

[VH-XXX]

The "nearby marquee" is usually host to the Heli company staff and waiting patrons... At any other time of the day this could have resulted in multiple fatalities. It's a temporary setup.

[somniferous]

It will be interesting to see how it affects cup day operations. They usually operate 10+ choppers but it might put the punters off if they haven't been able to clean the wreckage up.

Glad the pilot was able to walk away.

[Squeaks]

A photographer was obviously on the ball: remarkable images!

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/11/03/1226752/098626-b8b6179c-43a5-11e3-8139-2fc28a7acf56.jpg

http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2013/11/03/1226752/098655-b5e1d52e-43a5-11e3-8139-2fc28a7acf56.jpg

I hope this doesn't impact on the rest of the Spring Carnival operation :sad:

[VH-XXX]

That first photo is amazing. So many pieces falling of before it's even hit the ground, unless it bounced.

[VH-Cheer Up]

A helicopter working to ferry people to and from the Victoria Derby races in Melbourne has crashed at the Collingwood Football Club's training oval.There goes the Magpies 2014 Grand Final chances!

[Capt Fathom]

So many pieces falling of before it's even hit the ground, unless it bounced.


The rotor has hit the ground, and is ripping the machine to bits! :rolleyes:

[500N]

This was in the Herald Sun

http://i41.tinypic.com/1qlhdw.jpg

[Wally Mk2]

Stunning photo/s. I wonder whether such an event would put off a Heli pilot, I mean anything that flies is dangerous but Heli's seem to be on the 'edge'.
Always wanted to get a Heli license but apart from the extreme cost & virtually no employment with it (at my age) this event is the main reason as to why I wouldn't.
Another Heli survivor, am sure this young lady will grab an extra Lotto ticket or two very soon:ok:


Wmk2

[Squeaks]

There was an eye witness on the radio this morning describing what she saw: and part of it was a perfect (layman's) description of dynamic rollover :(

The same station's news reports had the usual garbage about how terrible it would have been if it had happened over a built up suburb :ugh:

Wally, you're showing your age calling a 45 year old a 'young lady' :p

[Wally Mk2]

'squarwky' that age is young mate :ok: She's of still child bearing age, to me that's almost jail bait!:E
I had to do a bit of research on Dynamic rollover, very interesting but there doesn't look like to many ground obstacles for her heli to hit whist going sideways upon lift off. The way the material reads it's once yr CoG goes past the 'pivot' point of the obstacle it's all over red rover if ya don't drop the machine back down instantly, am I missing something here guys?

Hope she gets back on her horse & rides (flies) off into the sunset again soon:ok:


Wmk2

[cattletruck]

There goes the Magpies 2014 Grand Final chances!

http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2013/11/03/1226752/098655-b5e1d52e-43a5-11e3-8139-2fc28a7acf56.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/1qlhdw.jpg

Yes, if you look at the background, someone moved the goal posts :E

Hope the lady makes a quick recovery.

[lelebebbel]

very interesting but there doesn't look like to many ground obstacles for her heli to hit whist going sideways upon lift off

A rollover can happen even if the only obstacle is the friction on the ground. One possibility: (and I will add that there is currently no indication whether this is what happened here):

If the helicopters centre of gravity is located towards the rear limit behind the rotor mast, such as in a Longranger with no passengers, the machine will lift off the ground distinctly nose first. If this is done with too much haste, it could roll over backwards, and then possibly to the side once the tail skid touches down.

The impact photo is amazing, and a good reminder to us all what spectacular consequences even a small mistake can have.

[Ascend Charlie]

I doubt if it was dynamic rollover, the skids are too far off the ground - the impact of the rotors, while having plenty of kinetic energy, are unlikely to be able to lift the whole machine back off the ground to that height.

In the first of the series, you can see how the main rotor has hit the ground 4 times (each hit raised a swirl of dust) and the second was the kicker. Transmission torn from the machine, tail boom buckled to hit the ground and then broken off, airframe buckled so much the doors popped open and were then shed, hydraulics torn from the roof - game well and truly over. It then fell to the ground and lay there for a little nap.

[Squeaks]

AC,

If you're looking at the image of the machine thrashing itself to pieces, there is a better one which only appears on the Herald Sun iPad where the heel of the right skid is still on the ground. You can also see the matting that the machine was on, and could have created a snagging point on the starboard skid?

The eye witness on the 3AW Sunday morning show at about 11:55 was quite specific about the LR being one skid off the ground/one still on the ground when it suddenly turned over. She wasn't by any means an aviation person, just someone waiting to pick up a relative arriving by helicopter.

3AW News link (http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breaking-news-blog/helicopter-flopped-on-takeoff/20131103-2wt8z.html)

On air interview (http://www.3aw.com.au/displayPopUpPlayerAction.action?&url=http://media.mytalk.com.au/3AW/AUDIO/nicole.mp3)

Sounds like DR to me.

[Wally Mk2]

'lele' yeah I gather that friction of a skid for Eg is one of the same thing (an obstruction to ground sideways movement) I understand this as I play with toy Heli's & they do the same thing, crash! One way for me to overcome this possible sideways or ever rearward movement of a toy heli it to 'jump' into the air quickly then reduce pwr, could this not be done in a real chopper? Just asking as I am interested in these complex machines:-)

'lele' I'm also trying to get my head around yr comment re Long-ranger with a CoG behind the mast would make the machine move fwd upon applying lift.
I would have thought that any lift (made by the big propeller above the machine) in the above CoG situation would make the chopepr tilt rearwards, pivot around the CoG, maybe I have the bull by the tail here & am happy to be corrected:ok:


Wmk2

[illusion]

There would not be much friction on a Collingwood Oval. They use vaseline on and off the field.......:eek:

[Rotor Work]

Update from Herald Sun
No Cookies | Herald Sun (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/pilot-emma-bobridges-spectacular-escape-from-helicopter-crash/story-fni0fit3-1226752330396)

IT was a miracle escape from a spectacular crash but for the experienced pilot inside the helicopter just one word came to mind: "bugger''. That was all Emma Bobridge could mutter after crawling free from the wreckage of the Bell chopper that crashed at Olympic Park on Saturday (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/pilot-emma-bobridges-lucky-escape-after-chopper-crashes-at-westpac-centre/story-fni0fit3-1226751993594), according to witnesses at the scene.
"She was calm and sedate and said she was fine,'' photographer Ewen Hill said following the crash.
"She walked herself to the ambulance paramedics to be treated and seemed pretty disappointed. She was so calm and unaffected.''
Mr Hill had been walking in the park as the chopper came down and said he was on his way to help get Ms Bobridge out of the wreckage when she emerged by herself.
http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2013/11/03/1226752/332899-3a531b9c-4450-11e3-b6cf-917abbb54065.jpg The spectacular helicopter crash in Richmond. Picture: Michael Austin

He said it appeared that one of the helicopter's skids became caught on the landing mat as it tried to take off, causing it to lose balance and ultimately come crashing down.
The impact spread debris 30m and Ms Bobridge was forced to scramble out.
Another witness said it took just 17 seconds from the time the helicopter had tried to take off to when Ms Bobridge crawled free.
But he said the tense wait for her to emerge felt like "an eternity''.
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2013/11/03/1226752/330369-d151a71e-4439-11e3-b6cf-917abbb54065.jpg Pilot Emma Bobridge.


Ms Bobridge, 45, was released from The Alfred hospital.
Amazingly, the experience pilot suffered only minor hand injuries despite the helicopter plummeting to the ground as it was taking off from the Collingwood Football Club's Olympic Park Base.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators were on the scene trying to piece together how the helicopter came to plummet.
They were hoping to speak to Ms Bobridge and other *witnesses.
The pilot had been ferrying punters from the Flemington racecourse, including Channel 7's racing commentator Francesca Cumani.
Choppair owner Michael van der Zypp said " the most important thing is that everyone is OK''.

[kflexer]

Wow! Stunning photos! Goes to show how it can all go sideways in the blink of an eye! Bugger is right! Hope she's back turning jet fuel into noise and money soon! As a side note, she is super cute! Glad no one injured to badly.

[CYHeli]

Having flown this gig for two different years, on all fours days of each of the carnivals, I can state that the mats are actually quite slippery and you have to be careful closing the throttle on a Jetranger so as not to yaw, ie don't close it too quickly.
It would be extremely uncommon to have a skid get stuck on the map, but not completely impossible.

[Skillsy]

Interested that the ATSB buggered off back to tea and scones in Canberra without talking to the two independent witnesses who saw the craft land and take off. Why bother coming down from Canberra apart to get out of the office?

[cattletruck]

A slippie mat combined with a tendency for a near empty Longbox to pitch nose up and slide back on TO combined with catching the edge of one of the mats combined with low sun at the end of a busy day - bugger indeed!

If I were Zyppie I'd apportion full blame on the Collingwood Footbal Club and their over exuberant use of Vaseline - as posted previously - both on and off the field. Buggery indeed :E

[rotorspeed]

What exactly are these mats? Are they strictly necessary? Must say I've never come across anywhere where I've had to land on mats and it does sound an obvious risk. Are they often used?

[VH-XXX]

I suspect the mats are there to protect the grass surface from the skids and many high heels from the passenger, moreso than being required for helicopter operations. At a guess over 100 flights would take place for sure over the day.

[601]

If there are mats placed over the grass there has to be at least four edges to each mat. Therefore to cover a large area there would have to be joints and unless the edges are zipped or otherwise joined along the full length of the joint, there will be loose edges.

With loose edges there would be a possibility of an edge to lift with the rotor wash and allow a skid to be trapped under the edge.

Possibility?

[CYHeli]

601, if you land on the mat, you won't get caught on the edge.

The mats have been used for about 5 years without incident.

[Semi Rigid]

No pax involved - Feds don't care. End of story.

[Squeaks]

No pax involved - Feds don't care. End of story.

Hardly: the investigators spent a long time at the site before the wreck was released to be moved and have looked at many issues.

The mats have been used for 5-6 years and their deployment is well established to be safe and effective. Had it contributed to the (likely) dynamic rollover then you would expect to see it entangled in the starboard skid in the action photos, or at least significantly disturbed.

[Skillsy]

The ATSB still have at least 4 people to interview and no time frame for interview including three people who saw the chopper land and take off. I would expect better investigation in PNG or East Timor.

[rjtjrt]

That's probably a bit unfair.
With the number of accidents in last 3 weeks, ATSB are stretched, as was mentioned in another thread.

[Squeaks]

Hover leads to rollover (http://www.atsb.gov.au/newsroom/news-items/2016/hover-leads-to-rollover/)

While repositioning, the pilot commenced lifting this Bell 206L-1 helicopter into a hover from a temporary helipad. It started rolling about the right skid until the main rotor blades struck the ground.


On 2 November 2013, the pilot of a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, registered VH-VDZ, was conducting passenger-carrying charter operations between Olympic Park oval and Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria. At about 1830 Eastern Daylight-saving Time, the pilot prepared to reposition the helicopter from one of the temporary helipads at Olympic Park. There were no passengers on board.

http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5770591/bell206l_vh-vdz_news.jpg
Accident site of the Bell 206L-1 helicopter, registered VH-VDZ at Olympic Park oval, Victoria. Source: Witness

As the pilot lifted the helicopter into a hover it started rolling about the right skid, which was in contact with the ground. The helicopter rapidly rolled further right until the main rotor blades struck the ground. A large amount of main rotor and other high energy debris was released from the helicopter and impacted a nearby marquee, a number of vehicles and a helicopter on an adjacent helipad. The pilot sustained minor injuries.

The ATSB found that the pilot did not identify and react to the helicopter’s right-skid low attitude in sufficient time to prevent the helicopter rolling over. In addition, an unsecured ballast bag was positioned on the left front floor of the helicopter, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. Further, the helicopter’s dual flight controls were removed to facilitate the flights. The person who removed the controls did not have the training or authorisation to conduct the maintenance procedure. The left cyclic stub cover was not installed, leaving the stub exposed. This resulted in the potential for the ballast bag to inhibit movement of the pilot’s cyclic control due to fouling of the left cyclic stub.

The ATSB identified safety issues relating to the availability of first aid and emergency response equipment at the oval and the proximity of the helipads to the perimeter fence and public access areas. Each increased the risk of injury to bystanders in the event of an accident.

For subsequent operations at the Olympic Park oval for the remainder of the event, the charterer positioned firefighting equipment at each helipad and first aid equipment was made available nearby. In addition, the helipads were repositioned further from the passenger marquee, and passengers were not loaded or unloaded if helicopters were in the process of landing or taking-off from adjacent helipads. Operations at the Olympic Park oval ceased following the 2013 carnival.

Safety message

This accident highlights the importance of coordinated control inputs by pilots during lift-off to control any roll, and if necessary smoothly lowering the collective in coordination with cyclic input to re‑establish the helicopter’s weight evenly on the ground before any roll becomes excessive. The importance of properly securing any equipment, particularly if stowed in aircraft cockpits, and of the correct removal and re-fitting of dual flight controls to prevent any obstruction or fouling of the controls is emphasised.

In addition, this accident is a reminder of the risks involved when operating helicopters in public areas. Although the likelihood of a helicopter accident on the ground that results in injuries was found by the ATSB to be low, in the event of an accident, high energy rotor and other debris can travel large distances. Where possible, operators should consider larger distances around helicopter landing areas, in particular when operating close to public areas.

Read the investigation report AO-2013-199 (http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2013/aair/ao-2013-199/)

[gulliBell]

It's a spectacular photo. Very fortunate nobody was killed or seriously injured. I'm quite surprised a pilot with 1000+ hours experience could roll a serviceable B206L taking off from perfectly flat grass.

[maddmatt]

"The left cyclic stub cover was not installed, leaving the stub exposed. This resulted in the potential for the ballast bag to inhibit movement of the pilot’s cyclic control due to fouling of the left cyclic stub."

Sounds like a catalogue of 'events' conspired to make this accident happen... one very lucky lady

[rotorspin]

testament once again to the rugged build of a Bell product..

[Squeaks]

In court now for the third day:

Chopper pilot sues flight company over spectacular footy field crash (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/chopper-pilot-sues-flight-company-over-spectacular-footy-field-crash/news-story/1b963f2079718a51a9803474f9bc221c)

Wayne Flower, Herald Sun
July 25, 2016 1:57pm

A HELICOPTER pilot who spectacularly crashed a chopper on a footy ground during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival is suing her former company.

Emma Bobridge destroyed the Bell helicopter shortly after takeoff from Collingwood Football Club's Olympic Park Base.

The chopper, used to transport punters and celebrities, plummeted to the ground in front of stunned onlookers.

The thunderous impact spread debris 30m and Ms Bobridge was forced to scramble out for her life.

The crash forms part of a civil case worth hundreds of thousands of dollars being fought-out in the Federal Circuit Court.

More than $160,000 of the claim relates to alleged “negligence” by the helicopter company Choppair.

But company director and seasoned helicopter pilot Michael Van Der Zypp has counterclaimed a little under $155,000 in compensation over the crash, which he claims was caused by pilot error.

Findings into the crash published by the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau state a likely contributor to the accident was an unsecured ballast bag in the cockpit which moved on takeoff, restricting the controls.

The court heard Mr Van Der Zypp blamed Ms Bobridge for failing to secure the bag, which resulted in the company losing a big contract.

Ms Bobridge’s barrister Mark Champion said the trial, which is scheduled to take about five days, would include testimony from an expert witness who refuted the ATSB finding.

“We take issue she was negligent,” he said.

In addition, Ms Bobridge hopes to be paid thousands of dollars in wages and entitlements, which she claims she was short-changed under a dispute with her award.

The court heard Mr Van Der Zypp claimed Ms Bobridge was not entitled to the payments as she was employed as an independent contractor during the disputed pay periods.

He also claims she was performing predominantly clerical duties on contract from another company at the time of the crash, which placed her under a separate award.

“We say she’s a pilot, who did substantial clerical work,” Mr Champion said.

The hearing continues.





Crash pilot almost downed another chopper, court hears (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/crash-pilot-almost-downed-another-chopper-court-hears/news-story/0976c3c2893c53ee408a3638377a15a8)

Wayne Flower, Herald Sun
July 26, 2016 3:22pm

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/2c5fc34e8a7eac1a15336461c26e69d7?width=1024

A PILOT suing her company over a spectacular chopper crash captured on film almost crashed another helicopter on the Yarra River, a court has heard.

The dramatic development came on the second day of a Federal Circuit Court hearing which sees pilot Emma Bobridge suing her former company Choppair amid allegations of negligence.

Ms Bobridge destroyed a Bell helicopter shortly after takeoff from Collingwood Football Club’s Olympic Park Base during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.

But the court heard she had a near fatal miss when a chopper she was piloting almost clipped a handrail at a city helipad shortly after her return to Melbourne from the Northern Territory in 2010.

Ms Bobridge told the court the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau looked into the incident, but said the chopper escaped without damage.

Choppair boss and pilot Michael Van Der Zypp, who is representing himself in court, said Ms Bobridge missed the handrail by 2.5cm.

Ms Bobridge’s barrister Mark Champion objected to the incident being discussed, but Justice Phillip Burchardt allowed it on the basis that the pilot’s alleged negligence was a relevant issue.

The Olympic Park crash forms part of a civil case worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/8b3f1628012e963286629d72e8a79d97?width=650

More than $160,000 of the claim relates to alleged “negligence” by Choppair.

Mr Van Der Zypp has counterclaimed a little under $155,000 in compensation over the crash, which he claims was caused by pilot error.

Ms Bobridge claims the helicopter got caught on a landing mat as she attempted to takeoff, flipping it over.

“I always maintained that right skid never left the ground,” she said. “It literally felt like someone was standing on my skid.”

The court heard Ms Bobridge worked to correct the crash before she “reached the point of no return” and took her hands of the controls.

“I looked out of the window and I could see the ground coming to my face. At that point I let go and covered my head,” she said.

Mr Van Der Zypp alleges Ms Bobridge crashed the helicopter when an unsecured ballast bag shifted and blocked the controls.

He told the court Ms Bobridge later admitted to him she had “f — ked up” and crashed the helicopter.

Ms Bobridge denied the accusation.

The hearing continues.

[gulliBell]

The defendant company owner is representing himself in Court against the horse power of a barrister? That's a good way to lose what seems to otherwise be a very strong case. I wonder if the pilot ever got hired elsewhere? In Australia, pilots who take employers to court typically don't find employment in the industry again whether they win or lose their case.

[Squeaks]

Ms Bobridge claims the helicopter got caught on a landing mat as she attempted to takeoff, flipping it over.

“I always maintained that right skid never left the ground,” she said. “It literally felt like someone was standing on my skid.”

The court heard Ms Bobridge worked to correct the crash before she “reached the point of no return” and took her hands of the controls.

“I looked out of the window and I could see the ground coming to my face. At that point I let go and covered my head,” she said.

Dynamic rollover, anyone?

Having done heaps of landings on those mats, there's nothing to "catch a helicopter".

[gulliBell]

...and it doesn't take much work on the controls to correct the situation either

[John R81]

Ok I am missing something.


If the accident was caused by an unsecured ballast bag then the pilot is at fault.
If the accident was caused by the skid being caught, on trying to lift the pilot felt that the skid was caught but carried on / had been so aggressive with the lift they could not stop - why is that not the pilot's fault?


Never landed on these pads, but had a skid "stick" in muddy conditions many times. Unless you are attempting to jerk the aircraft into the air, which is pretty foolhardy, why would you not lower the collective when you felt the skid was stuck?

[chopjock]

John
why would you not lower the collective when you felt the skid was stuck?

Some pilots like to "jump" off the deck whilst others like to "feel" it off gently.
Perhaps she is a jumper and not a feeler? :}

[krypton_john]

I'm very disappointed with this thread. I thought it was going to be a photo of Lara Bingle climbing into a helicopter along with a caption along the lines of "where the bloody hell are ya knickers"...

Apologies. I'll get me coat....

[Freewheel]

I'm very disappointed with this thread. I thought it was going to be a photo of Lara Bingle climbing into a helicopter along with a caption along the lines of "where the bloody hell are ya knickers"...

Apologies. I'll get me coat....



No worries, it'll get to the gutter soon enough anyway.....


I don't agree that pilots who have sued their employer never work again, there's some who have done so for much better reasons than this though......

[gulliBell]

I can't see how an employer can take legal action against a pilot for crashing their helicopter, assuming all things like licenses and medicals etc being in order. Even pilots who run out of fuel, I don't recall anybody being sued by an employer for this.

As for the pilot taking legal action against the employer, the arguments there would be more interesting. Particularly in this instance where the employer claims the pilot was an independent contractor, employer trying to distance themselves for this reason may be difficult. The pilot might get some traction here if the training record fails to show she was adequately trained for the task required. Although there is an assumption that a licensed pilot has the knowledge to lower the collective if the helicopter starts to roll over on lift-off. No doubt with a barrister on her side against an employer representing himself puts the odds squarely in her favour than would otherwise be the case.