AW109S Hard Landing: Exmoor

[Savoia]

A FATHER and son stumbled across an abandoned helicopter which had crash landed in a field on Exmoor.

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276410/Article/images/20302341/5609966-large.jpg
The crashed helicopter which ditched in a field on Exmoor between Dulverton and Withypool on Sunday. Photos: Martin Bennett

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276410/Article/images/20302341/5609967-large.jpg

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276410/Article/images/20302341/5609968-large.jpg

Martin Bennett and his son Luke work as water engineers and were on their way to a job when they stumbled across the aircraft.

The duo, who live in Barnstaple, were travelling from Dulverton to Withypool on Monday when they made the discovery.

Martin, 52, said: “We saw the helicopter in the field and wondered why it had landed there, it was an odd place.

“But as we got closer to the helicopter it became obvious there was something wrong.

“It was lopsided. We pulled up and saw parts hanging off the helicopter.”

The pilot was nowhere to be seen and the pair reported the incident to police in both Devon and Somerset.

Martin said: “The helicopter was in the field but there was no one around.

“We do come across things from time to time like fires and people stuck in hedges and we help them out but we have never come across a stricken helicopter before.”

Inside the aircraft the pair found a technical log book from Elite Helicopters.

Glenn Curtis, who works in the operations department of the company, said this helicopter was a privately owned machine and was being flown by the owner.

He said: “Elite Helicopters is a commercial company licenced by the Civil Aviation Authority to conduct public transport and charter flights.

“We manage and operate numerous aircraft helicopter types which are privately owned.

“The owners use the aircraft themselves and these flights are carried out as private category flights.

“The nature of the flight which the incident occurred was a private category flight being flown by the owner of the aircraft.”

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the helicopter's pilot reported the crash to the force on Sunday evening.

It is understood he escaped uninjured.

PHOTOS: Private helicopter crashes into field on Exmoor | North Devon Journal (http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/PHOTOS-Helicopter-crashes-field-Exmoor/story-20302341-detail/story.html)

[Pittsextra]

That's Dave Richards aircraft, of Prodrive

[Freewheel]

What, again?

Didn't he have a fenestron failure on his 135 years ago?

[Pittsextra]

motorsport and aviation seems a very hazardous combination....

[RVDT]

Didn't he have a fenestron failure on his 135 years ago

Apparently not.

[heli14]

What, again?

Didn't he have a fenestron failure on his 135 years ago?

Link to the report for the previous incident in the EC135 is here: Air Accidents Investigation: Eurocopter EC135 T2, G-IWRC (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/september_2008/eurocopter_ec135_t2__g_iwrc.cfm)

Date of occurrence: 16 September 2007 - The pilot and his passenger were returning to the UK from Europe. Whilst passing through the Stansted control zone, the helicopter had an event during which the auto trim in the Automatic Flight System disengaged and the helicopter pitched nose down. The pilot, believing he had a double engine failure, entered autorotation. During the landing flare the tail of the helicopter struck the ground first, severing the fenestron drive. The helicopter subsequently rolled on to its side and was extensively damaged. The occupants escaped without injuries.

[cattletruck]

Looks like his autos are improving :E.

[ShyTorque]

Harsh, but fair....

[bizpilot]

Apparently a night landing at a remote site and he hit a tree.

[Evelyn Higginbottom]

Apparently a night landing at a remote site and he hit a tree.

Easier to understand than an auto into an open field.

[Francis Frogbound]

A little late on the flare Hoskins:E

[verticalhold]

I wonder who's fault it will be this time:ugh:

[switch_on_lofty]

Does anyone know whether there was a malfunction (or perceived one) prior to the landing or was he trying to land at a planned site?

[Freewheel]

Heli14, thanks! Fenestron involvement came very late. :O

[llamaman]

Planned landing at night at unlit site + tail strike = oops

[ShyTorque]

Plan your landing in the dark in an unlit site on fairly featureless terrain (apart from pesky trees). Factor in a bit of poor visibility. What could possibly go wrong?

[switch_on_lofty]

Can you land a civilian helicopter at an unlit site by night within the rules? Find it hard to believe you don't need some lighting for glide path or a point to aim at at least because otherwise you are descending into the unknown really as this accident shows.

[nomorehelosforme]

Who cares all well and good! That aside ??????

[ShyTorque]

For AOC work, no. But there is no rule which says a private flight has to have landing site lighting. But common sense says....

Your profile suggests you are from a military background. I think you will therefore be thinking, as in my earlier days, the bare minimum ought to be crossed vehicle headlights, to be used in an emergency. Or A NATO 'T' for normal ops, preferably with an Angle of Approach Indicator for such flights as this one was.

[LOZZ]

Doesn't make a very good tractor. Earlier this year she was tasked differently.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/9086604373_14607e14e8_b.jpg

[diginagain]

....the bare minimum ought to be crossed vehicle headlights,Preferably not Bedford MKs, which can be disconcerting when you're expecting a pair of Series III Landies.

[rotorspeed]

Let's not get carried away here. You really don't need an angle of approach indicator or even necessarily ground lighting for a safe approach at night to a private site. It depends on a number of things. Has it been recce'd? Is the pilot familiar with it? Is it a big open level area or small site in a wooded valley? Is the visibility good? Etc. What you do need to do is take your time, identify it clearly, use the aircraft lights to verify any obstacles and make a steep approach so you know you're only letting down onto what you can see is clear. Much more comfortable in a twin than single, but even then, the chance of engine failure in the last 30 secs of approach is much less than hitting something through too hasty an approach. Oh and treat all surfaces as sloping ground - much harder to see what's level at night.

I don't know any detail of this but let's not generalise, please.

[Evelyn Higginbottom]

Earlier this year she was tasked differently.

There's the problem you see. Had the Merkelator been on board she would have insisted [German accent on] "Ve vill go instead to nearest airport vhere I vill take Mercedes Benz to ze destination."

[ShyTorque]

I don't know any detail of this but let's not generalise, please.

I do and I wasn't, thankyou.

[rotorspeed]

Shy - interesting. So if you do know the detail what was the weather like? And if you weren't generalising about use of a T or approach angle indicator for night landings, in what circumstances were you suggesting they should be used?

[switch_on_lofty]

ShyT - Yes and kind of. Not sure I'd be too happy making an approach to a site on Exmoor (if it's in the dark bit) with no lights at all with no NVG even if I'd been there by day. Launching into the inky blackness is a different story.
Not sure what the moon was etc but relying on the landing lamp to pick out obstacles is a gutsy call (which didn't appear to pay off for this maverick).
RSpeed - I'd use a T or some sort of lighting when I had an expensive helicopter, a dark site in the middle of nowhere and an unlucky pilot! T cost about £10 for some cylaumes or cans filled with petrol if you're feeling a bit WW2. Not sure how much half a 109S costs...

[ShyTorque]

I know a bit more of the circumstances of this one but I'm afraid you will have to wait for the AAIB report. :oh:

Re lighting; read my post again. I was referring to the landing site requirements for military night ops when not using NVG. I flew under those rules for many years. I didn't say they were my present, personal requirements as a civilian helicopter pilot. Minimum lighting for night AOC helicopter ops is laid down in law. What a pilot does whilst on private, non AOC ops is up to himself - subject of course to ensuring the safe conduct of the flight.

[Cows getting bigger]

I wonder how the no claims discount is looking?

[1helicopterppl]

Shy,

Do you know if DR has sold this machine ? Seems odd log books were from Elite ? & if sold, (Castle Air ?), a bit harsh for ppruners to go down the ' what another DR forced landing' route....

[Bilbo Bagover]

Somebody has jumped to the conclusion that there was no lighting at the landing site. This is incorrect; a ground party had set up landing lights and were in attendance.

The helicopter is operated by Elite Helicopters on their AOC when not being used by its owners. As was correctly reported by the paper, the aircraft was on a private flight.

[ShyTorque]

1hppl, I understand the aircraft might be for sale ;) . I'm glad to hear the site was lit.

[rotorspeed]

Shy - have indeed read your post again, and sorry, but think you're trying to swerve on this one! You actually said what "ought to be" for "flights such as this one". I think you are mistaken - as, it seems, you were with your comment that there was no ground lighting.

[misterbonkers]

Surely the next big question we should be asking is;

What registration will he choose for his Bell 429?

[ShyTorque]

Rotorspeed,

You will notice that the quote you refer to was in reply to a question from someone with a military profile, asking about civilian rules. The phrase "ought to be" referred to military rules for minimum lighting standards, not civilian rules.

Again, to reiterate, under civilian rules, on a private (non AOC) flight, it's up to the pilot what lighting he is prepared to accept at any particular location.

[Pittsextra]

Reflecting on the comments in this thread

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/522069-as332l2-ditching-off-shetland-23rd-august-2013-a-115.html

to this where pilot error seems more readily acceptable...

[Grenville Fortescue]

Surprising difference in attitude.



Almost as different as the disparity between private and commercial operations!

[Pittsextra]

So fly privately and there is little to learn from any accident, its just one of those things, pilot error and anyway who the **** do people think they are flying privately... they have it coming.

Otherwise its a culture thing, the fault of management, different equipment fit in the aircraft, pressure, automation... etc...

No cross over, nothing to learn? Really??

Edited to add:- this was also classed as a private flight....

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/AS355F2%20Twin%20Squirrel,%20G-BYPA%2011-08.pdf

[Grenville Fortescue]

Your query was specifically addressed towards the difference in attitude (with an interest in the culpability of the pilot) between this accident and the tragic events of 23rd August.

Is it necessary to spell-out the differences between the two? Really??



Edited to add:- this was also classed as a private flight....



You seem to be overlooking one significant factor in your examples.

[Pittsextra]

Hey GF - i'm not looking to have a huge fight I was just reflecting my surprise in the difference in the attitude/reaction/views (not wishing to get caught up in the minutiae of semantics) and hopefully we don't just find something to learn when people die in aircraft?

[Grenville Fortescue]

You were querying the attitude of forum members towards this accident in contrast to the responses made in the wake of the Shetland crash.

Aside from the obvious, there is a chasm which separates people's attitudes towards the responsibility demanded by vendors of professional aviation services who cradle the lives of those who by reason of their profession are required to travel by helicopter and the actions of someone who is doing his own thing in his own aircraft with his own people.

Does this mean the latter should be any less responsible than the former? Never. But, you were talking about attitudes and I am explaining why there is a difference.

[Pittsextra]

GF - I'm confused to be honest.

Aside from the obvious, there is a chasm which separates people's attitudes towards the responsibility demanded by vendors of professional aviation services who cradle the lives of those who by reason of their profession are required to travel by helicopter and the actions of someone who is doing his own thing in his own aircraft with his own people.

Does this mean the latter should be any less responsible than the former? Never. But, you were talking about attitudes and I am explaining why there is a difference.

I take it your reference to "the obvious" meaning the deaths at Shetland? Do we only seek to engage in this learning process when there is a loss of life? Further without knowing the facts around this 109 accident who knows if luck or judgement played the greater role in the avoidance of deaths in this accident.

This chasm that separates attitudes toward responsibilities is interesting. I'm not sure it is in the mind of the pilot is it? In fact actually I'd suggest that (for example) one might, as a pilot, at least an equal responsibility to flying ones wife and child around in your own Augusta 109 as you would flying a company machine with some random passengers on board. Note I echo your view of "at least an equal responsibility".

That surely becomes further blurred when private flying includes owner / drivers or owner / passengers. Further still when the consequences to others non flying would appear the same regardless of the commercial/private nature of the flight.

As I said not wanting to battle over this but it is interesting how one thread gets 115 pages of chatter around culture and something must be done... the other a shrug and an almost jokey attitude of "whats happened now, Doh!!!"....

[nomorehelosforme]

Just guessing a VIP or two?

[Pittsextra]

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Agusta%20A109S,%20G-IOOZ%2004-14.pdf

[Sir Niall Dementia]

Pittsextra;


For someone who was asking in July 2012 (in private flying, in case the p*** got taken out of you in Rotorheads) which helicopter to do his PPL on you do spend a lot of time on here flapping your gums to professional helicopter pilots with thousands of hours and decades of experience about how we should fly/behave.


The owner of this 109 is well aware that we are all having a quiet snigger at his expense, with his previous it would be hard not to. But he has had another painful lesson and luckily the only human damage was pride.


Do yourself a favour and wind it in a bit, you are becoming as tiresome as Chopjock and Shell Management, other trolls with weird agendas.


SND