AW139 crash in Kenya

[hueyracer]

A (brand new) AW139 operated by the Kenyan Police crashed only days after the "factory pilot" was sent home..

Four cops injured after new police helicopter crashes in Mathare | The Star, Kenya (http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/09/08/four-cops-injured-after-new-police-helicopter-crashes-in-mathare_c1417430)

Thats the second crash within 2 weeks-a Long Ranger crashed at Wilson Airport after an Autorotation Training went wrong (according to reports, he still had some feet to go at the end of the autorotation-unlicensed "instructor" on board, if it´s true what they say..).

[Phone Wind]

Looking at the photos of it on the ground, the main landing gear seems to have been retracted when it landed.

[SilsoeSid]

Looking at the photos of it on the ground, the main landing gear seems to have been retracted when it landed.

Looking at the video of it in the air, there wasn't time to even think about the landing gear!

[roundwego]

Classic vortex ring

[John Eacott]

The Kenya TV news bulletin:

hBOPYcK-o1U

GMQkO4jdjsk

[Bushrat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8mn8IqPz3I

Raw video of crash...loss of control seems to be complete...

[Max Contingency]

My thoughts go to the crew and I wish them a speedy recovery.

This is what I see in the video: An OGE hover at about 500ft AGL. An event that caused the aircraft to rotate approximately 45 degrees to the right. A rapid onset of vertical descent with a reversal of direction of rotation. Right hand rotation recommencing just prior to impact.

I don't think it was VRS as there was no RoD prior to the event. The rotation could conceivably have come from the fishtail effect of an engine failure but I would have expected to see a rapid nose down input from the pilot as it should be easily possible to fly out OEI from that height even at Kenyan temperatures and the RoD builds too quickly for OEI (unless the lever was down for some reason) It could conceivably have been a simultaneous double engine failure but, honestly, they only ever happen in the simulator these days. That amount of yaw, in that direction, would have led the pilots to suspect a tail drive shaft failure. My best guess here is that there was an uncommanded yaw to the right (possibly caused by a failure of tail rotor drive) that led the pilot to enter autorotation and attemp a near vertical auto from 500ft. The recommencement of rotation prior to impact probably indicates that the engines were not shut down. A difficult one to call!!

[Bushrat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCtK01lyaVo

Another angle showing loss of yaw control...at least one one engine was still running post crash

[hueyracer]

A double engine failure would have led to a drastic reduction in rotorspeed-especially considering that the pilots are very inexperienced.

Just a few days before, the Kenyans had sent the factory pilot home, as they considered their own pilots (according to reports each of one had less than 1000 hours total time) good enough to fly it.

It is not unlikely in this culture to run out of fuel......which would explain an engine failure.....but i still believe that it was VRS.....all it takes is a slight RoD....Kenya is at 10.000 ft PA, and sometimes even higher....

[SilsoeSid]

Speedy recovery Guys


hueyracer;
Kenya is at 10.000 ft PA, and sometimes even higher....

Jomo Kenyatta, which is just a few km away, is at 1,624m / 5,327ft elevation.
At the moment it is HKJK 090800Z 04005KT 9999 SCT022 19/12 Q1026 NOSIG

I'm sure you can work out the PA from that, and of course the DA :ok:

[212man]

Rip Guys
So far the reports say they are in a stable condition. I see one of the injured was from AW/Leonardo: Passengers in chopper crash in stable condition - VIDEO - Daily Nation (http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Helicopter-crashes-in-Mathare-area/1056-3373936-ihfyeb/)

I'm sure you can work out the PA from that, and of course the DA 4,886'/6,456'

[Non-PC Plod]

Looks like VRS to me. Difficult to see from any of the angles whether there was any rate of descent, but the initial right yaw would fit with a sudden application of collective to try to arrest a descent. This could have been the trigger to enter VRS, which leads to the apparent loss of yaw, and subsequently pitch & roll control as the VRS becomes fully developed.
I agree incipient VRS is not difficult to effect a recovery from, but if you consider the likely "startle" effect, and a few seconds to recognise and react, then fully blown VRS is not easy to recover from, particularly from this height.

[Wageslave]

Sub 1000hr pilots in a complex type like that?
And just after an allegedly non-rated (rather derated) instructor with a stude stoofed their newly refurbed Longranger at Wilson.

Smells like a dodgy culture at the Kenyan Police Air Wing to me.

[Jelico]

Sub 1000hr pilots in a complex type like that?
And just after an allegedly non-rated (rather derated) instructor with a stude stoofed their newly refurbed Longranger at Wilson.

Smells like a dodgy culture at the Kenyan Police Air Wing to me.
Plenty of sub 1000hr co pilots flying complicated types around the world

[markredgwell]

One of the Engines is still going in this video so not a fuel problem


GMQkO4jdjsk

[hueyracer]

You´re right-DA, not PA (typo).....standard is somewhat around 8000-9000 ft...

Wilson (from where the aircraft is launching) is even higher at almost 5600 feet....Temperatures are usually at around 26-28° (at time of accident, 26° were reported).

Lets assume the were at 1000 ft at 26°, they were just below 10.000 ft DA....

[Phone Wind]

You´re right-DA, not PA (typo).....standard is somewhat around 8000-9000 ft...

Wilson (from where the aircraft is launching) is even higher at almost 5600 feet....Temperatures are usually at around 26-28° (at time of accident, 26° were reported).

Lets assume the were at 1000 ft at 26°, they were just below 10.000 ft DA....

Hmmm. Using the actual met from Wilson yesterday and assuming the aircraft was about 1,000 feet agl, it's closer to 8,400 feet DA

[Frying Pan]

I'm just impressed that Kenya has a Police air wing with a 139. When I was last there I didn't see many high speed car chases. Maybe it's used more as a transport for very self important people. Hope the crew recover well and quickly. I also found VRS quite difficult to get into, but then I didn't fly something quite so complex.

[maeroda]

at 7000/8000 DA that a/c doesn't make a fuss about hovering at MTOW in light winds.

Moreover, 4 pax and 3 hours endurance on a police equipped 139 makes me believe about a TOW around 6200kg at the time of the crash....if this figure is correct and considering stable hover as everybody can see I don't think VRS or neither LTE would be the cause of such disaster.

TRDSF?
T/R control binding?

Maybe coupled by wrong pilot reaction?

Just my opinion

[PANews]

Maybe it's used more as a transport for very self important people

It may have had its uses as a transport but it was well equipped with a chin mounted FLIR EO/IR [which appears to have survived] and a Trakka searchlight [which being on the port side will have been well and truly mashed] so it appears to have had a good operational intent.....

[Flyting]

I'm just impressed that Kenya has a Police air wing with a 139
...... had....
;-)

[Self loading bear]

They had 2 AW139 ordered/delivered?
As from Internet;They were intended for use by GSU Recce squad and (indeed) re-configurable for 8 VIP/SIP

SLB

[Non-PC Plod]

Having just reviewed some of the other videos of the event, it does look like a steady hover, with initially a right yaw, then a rapid vertical descent with left yaw. So, VRS seems less likely. Its not consistent with TRDS fail, because of the left yaw.
The only scenario I can conceive of that seems to make sense is what Maeroda referred to - tail rotor control binding with improper pilot reaction. Raising and then dumping the collective with stuck pedals would give the result which appears to have happened in the videos, (right yaw, then left yaw & high rate of descent) and then significantly raising the collective close to the ground would have given the rapid rate of right yaw and reduced rate of descent which appears to have been the case closer to ground impact.

[gulliBell]

I've never been one for hovering IGE or OGE with the gear up...anyway, the 139 is well instrumented and they should work out what happened rather soon I'd expect.

[Max Contingency]

Not everything is capable of being recorded. This could be something as simple as a foreign object in the footwell jamming the pedals (checklist holder, data plate, maglite, metal pen, pilots personal sidearm).

[hueyracer]

And only if there has not been someone "playing around" with the CVFDR.......

[Harry the Hun]

To me it appears more like they were hovering in hover-mode and instead of pushing the ATT button upon departure from the hover, the pilot pushed the AFCS cut off button. No big deal for experianced pilots, but maybe too much for the inexperianced crew. Has happened to everybody before, not with these consequences though.

[Non-PC Plod]

Harry,

You have re-programmed yourself to your new type!
I think you mean the "FD Stby" and the "SAS release" buttons on the cyclic!

[Harry the Hun]

That might well be Rob.
In any case I meant two of the red buttons on the cyclic, not too far apart, but with noticeable differences when pressed 😛

[Frying Pan]

I'm sure the people of Kenya will be relieved to find out the cause when it's released. In the meantime let's hope for all their sake that the remaining 139 will be flown by pilots capable of flying it.

[maeroda]

Frying Pan
:D:D

[tottigol]

Wageslave, sub 1000 hours pilots like those fly all kinds of advanced jets and helicopters all the time.
It's called the military, and most of the audience (me included) was at one point one of those and perhaps you.

[AnFI]

wtf are these people wasting thier time and money flying an AW139 !!! when there is (obviously) no realistic safety upside from flying such a 'redundant' airframe.

They could be flying something reliable, safe and with huge margins instead.

This twin nonsense disease is becoming stupid.

YOU (SP) are guilty, wake up !!!

[gulliBell]

I'm guessing, being Africa, somebody outside Africa has paid for it, so if somebody else is paying for it, why not, half their luck.

[tottigol]

Like what AnFI, an Ecrap-225?

[Bushrat]

Terrifying moment police helicopter crashes over slums in Nairobi (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/10/terrifying-moment-police-helicopter-crashes-over-slums-in-nairob/)

Found this online....it has some reasonably good stills capture from video...is it just me or is something missing from the third still?

[gmrwiz]

AnFl,
are you an AH salesman?

[hueyracer]

Wageslave, sub 1000 hours pilots like those fly all kinds of advanced jets and helicopters all the time.
It's called the military, and most of the audience (me included) was at one point one of those and perhaps you.

And in the military, pilots undergo proper training...and are qualified to fly.

I spent the past 7 years in that region, and i can tell you that i have only met ONE (!) pilot from here who i considered a professional pilot...

All other helicopter pilot "somehow" got their license...were put into a cockpit....cockied´around that they can do it themselves after a few minutes....and the "mzungus"were sent home, as the local pilots can do it better anyway....

This is their attitude, this is their culture.....

Let me give you another example:

A foreign pilot from Europe-4000 hours, 3000 hours on type, 2500 hours PIC, VFR, IFR, ATPL(H) from a proper EASA country comes down here...
The local CAA asks for dozens of pages of paperwork, including factory type training (he received type rating training on a proper ATO, not the factory), and refuses to give him a validation....
8 months later this pilot is still trying to pass their silly exams.......and maybe after 12 months, he will get a local license conversion.

A local pilot, aged in the early 70´s, had a "license" back in the 1970....where it also expired....hasn´t flown since then.....asked for a job.....nope, no job, mate.....you need a license, a type rating and an ifr rating..
Man walks into the CAA, walks out with an ATPL and a type rating on it not even 4 hours later....


This is the way it works down here....:ugh:

[Frying Pan]

Huey Racer..shock horror! I've been training Middle East pilots, and they have their position because of their uncle/father not because of any selection process. We'll be very unlikely to get past the culture difference, so we have to deal with it as best we can. The mitigating factor appears to be, accidents will happen, but on their patch. If a brand new 139 went down like that in the UK there would be many questions if not an enquiry as to why it happened.

[JagRigger]

Terrifying moment police helicopter crashes over slums in Nairobi (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/10/terrifying-moment-police-helicopter-crashes-over-slums-in-nairob/)

Found this online....it has some reasonably good stills capture from video...is it just me or is something missing from the third still?


Just the angle - still attached post impact


http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii302/IanDTurner/Untitled_zpsvdukovcv.jpg

[helico2003]

MENA region is full of them.
Lots of 300hrs freshly FAA licensed (the easy way) jumped into AW139 just because their country is pushing "nationalization" program.
Not a Kenyan specific dodgy culture but seem instead widely spread in those part of world.

U bet m32k i've seen this nationalization program in other places in Africa and the consequences are 99% of time the same as in this case!...
You offer a slumdog a 'Ferrari' and it most surely will not last a DAY!

[PANews]

It seems that there is something of a smear campaign being undertaken throught The Nation against all parties but currently against Leonardo.

Recent reports have highlighted not so pertinent items like bad purchasing by the police in the past [the two-flight hour main rotors purchased for a Mi-17] and the use of fake components linked to the death of the former Internal Security minister and his deputy.

In a later attack on the aircraft supplier The Nation pointed out that chief executives of the manufacturer are in Italian jails over a scandal involving helicopter sales to India and they therefore linked the Nairobi crash and the corruption investigations as added pressure on the company and had led to the name change.

They also stated that the helicopter had only flown for 25 hours in the five months since it was bought.

Not sure if they dreamed up that figure or got it from a misunderstanding but that quoted figure of just 25 hours flight time over the last five months looks suspect. They would surely have needed way more than that to introduce 2-3 local pilots to a very complex airframe?

Has anyone noted those numbers anywhere other than in a news report?

[maeroda]

I know for sure AW instructor had left the country couple of weeks before the crash because the training was over and the pilots where cleared to fly alone without the Muzungu Instructor.

[pants on fire...]

You just couldn't even start to make this stuff up!

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/09/20/axed-pilot-crashed-police-helicopter_c1423025

[Non-PC Plod]

So, filtering the probable reality from the journalistic bol**cks in the article, it appears:

1. Hovering with a FD height hold mode engaged
2. Someone pulls the collective without depressing collective force trim release.
3. Collective subsequently let go, and is lowered by FD to regain the reference height. (As it should)
4. Helicopter starts vertical descent.
5. FD raises collective to reestablish height reference, helicopter enters VRS.

[nowherespecial]

As someone trained that when one relies on a system it miraculously fails (thank you instructors), why rely on the AP for something as routine as HOGE? Surely this is something everyone is taught AP out and forms core flying skills?

Or is this yet another example of incorrect use of automation?

[hueyracer]

Because those "pilots" have close to zero experience, and would not be able to hover out of ground effect...no kidding....

[Frying Pan]

We 'train' them, we tick the boxes, we get our money and we move on.

The ensuing problems is then theirs. They don't help themselves though by providing inadequate 'pilots' :( Most of them couldn't hover a mower.

[GoodGrief]

I know, it's probably a rhetorical question, but why do you tick the boxes then ?

[Frying Pan]

Apologies for answering a rhetorical question. But it's money. Contracts get awarded to schools that pass students. The big difference in this environment is that often the the 'pilot's' surname carries a lot more weight then their ability. The schools can't fail them, honour, family name, reputation and don't want to eject them from the training because it could end their contract! Thank god other countries have a more robust selection process.

[tottigol]

Just out of curiosity, how do you hover a mower?
It seems to me that only very capable pilots may be able to do that, and apparently these kids were not up to par for that.

[soggyboxers]

In my years as a simulator instructor, I found more simulator crashes were caused by pilots who had insufficient knowledge of advanced coupler modes than anything else. Autopilots are a powerful aid to pilots, but only if all aspects have been thoroughly taught during training and if the pilots maintain a thorough knowledge of the system through a mix of self study and continuation training from their training organisations. Real life is not just a computer game whose only consequences are having to reset a system.

It's my belief that insufficient time is given over to this on both the theory and practical side in both conversion and recurrent training. For the sake of a few extra hours of simulator training time offline and in a classroom, operators are trying to save money in the wrong place, especially when compared to the overall cost of obtaining and operating a very expensive, highly sophiscated airborne system. In the end this attitude is self-defeating because accidents lead to hugely increased insurance premiums and lost contracts.

I remember some years ago in a previous life when I was a training manager for quite a sizeable operation, the operations manager was of the opinion that we should reduce annual recurrent simulator training by 2 hours per pilot to save money. I told him that, au contraire, we should increase it by at least 2 -4 hours per pilot to save accidents and lives and spend at least an extra day at the simulator using the GFSS to improve knowledge. Sadly, the compromise was that we just retained the system we had. Unfortunately, when it comes to a fight between training and operations/commercial, the latter nearly always wins - until there's an accident.

[Frying Pan]

Ah. Lost in translation there. A HoverMower was a lawnmower, hence the comment, they couldn't hover! From memory, they couldn't mow very well either!

[rugmuncher]

Retro Mode "on"

A lot less bovver than a hovver.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IARuRMLIAU



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f2/Hover_Bovver_cover.png

Retro Mode "off"

[Geoffersincornwall]

Soggy - I echo every word Bob

G

[hueyracer]

Another report has been published....the basic points:

1. AgustaWestland trained 10 pilots, but only 4 were found "qualified" to fly as PIC, 6 others were designated Copilots only.
2. The two "pilots" flying during the crash were both "Copilots only".
3. They were hovering OGE in AP mode, when all of a sudden "a marabou came close" (only that no one could see this huge bird on any of the videos-i smell bs!)-
4. Pilot overreacted, entered VRS and had no clue how to recover.

Uncertified pilot crashed police helicopter | The Star, Kenya (http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/09/20/uncertified-pilot-crashed-police-helicopter_c1423025)

[Non-PC Plod]

I have to say, I know the guys who were doing this training, and they are not "box tickers". They were sent to provide the best training they could. They did their best, and they made their recommendations based on what they saw. What the customer does with the info is up to them. This is not EASA or FAA.

Acting as an instructor in this type of environment, you have to ask yourself whether you have left the student more competent than you found him, and whether you have highlighted to those who need to know any serious failings you may have found. If so - what more can be asked? You know the customer is going to go and fly the shiny new helicopter whatever.

[AnFI]

they'd be better off in H125s or Robby Police Copters

pointless to have all that engine redundancy and no idea

better mitigate the real risk in this case unwarranted complexity

[311kph]

Watch at 0:39, angry bird 12 o'clock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8mn8IqPz3I

_8mn8IqPz3I

[Reafidy]

hueyracer,

Surprisingly the bird (marabou stork apparently) can be seen in video at the bottom of this page. (http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/09/08/four-cops-injured-after-new-police-helicopter-crashes-in-mathare_c1417430)

It goes past the helicopter then returns from the left side of the screen travelling directly towards the helicopter a second or two before they lost control.

[Reafidy]

311kph, you beat me by 7seconds!

[hueyracer]

That bird looks to be like 1 NM away from the chopper!

Again-i smell bs.....the pilots screwed up big time, now trying to come up with an excuse....

[Frying Pan]

A bird strike in the cruise can be very nasty. A bird strike in an OGE hover....hmmmm....

[311kph]

Nobody mentioned bird strike, as i understood, they got scared of it and react as they did...

Now, seeing it, I can understand the scare part.

http://s9.postimg.org/ev965hezf/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/ev965hezf/)

http://s9.postimg.org/npgpb0ee3/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/npgpb0ee3/)

http://s10.postimg.org/c7xl5dvat/image.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/c7xl5dvat/)

[NRDK]

Not many birds fly into hovering helicopters. Perhaps following a fishing boat if unlucky.

[Frying Pan]

Exactly! Who would crash a new twin engine multi crew helicopter that was in a stable OGE hover unless the crew were incompetent? I'm not trying to isolate this crew, there's obviously a culture of poor training or at least poor learning in their flying environment.

[Thomas coupling]

Won't be much left of the wreckage after that lot loot the area!
Do they have an AAIB (African accident investigation board) over there?

It did seem out of place though didn't it. A £8 million aircraft hovering over a townsville with a GDP of about £100,000. Best reverting to secret police mode amongst the community, torture and bribery - much much cheaper :uhoh:

[311kph]

Won't be much left of the wreckage after that lot loot the area!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQgdZTgpczM

[iuk1963]

Uncertified pilot crashed police helicopter | The Star, Kenya (http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/09/20/uncertified-pilot-crashed-police-helicopter_c1423025)

[[email protected]]

He pushed the wrong lever, members of the investigating team told the Star. As a result, the aircraft lost power, stalled and created a vortex that pulled the Sh683 million chopper down. incisive, technically correct reporting then...........and if that's what the investigating team said.........

[noflynomore]

That article from the Star contains some telling lines.

Five crashes in two months
The toll raises questions about the quality of recruitment and training, among other issues.
The two were among six trainees out of 10 who were considered by the Italian manufacturer not competent to pilot the aircraft — only to be copilots.
Inspector Ndungu ... and engineer Michael Kariuki, who was alsoon board did not provide information. They are understood to have said they could not remember anything.
told investigators Oduk was at the controls and did not know how to respond when a marabu stork flew near
What ails Kenya Police Air Wing? Five crashes in two months
"HOGE, is ... when a chopper appears stationary in the air. It generally requires more power than if it is on the ground.
You could clearly hear the warnings ... and the panicked engineer directing Oduk on what to do
10 pilots, including the head of the Police Air Wing Rogers Mbithi, were trained in Italy for four months from last October to January this year. At the end, Agusta concluded only four had successfully learned to operate the helicopter competently.
Italian pilots left last month following a disagreement with the police, the Star has learnt. One issue they raised was being pressured to take Kenyan pilots on night flights, though they had not clocked the required number of daylight hours.

"They [seconded trainers] were following the book but the Kenyans wanted short cuts,"
Rank, power, nepotism, corruption, staggering arrogance. All the advice and support they could wish for from the world's experts and they behave like that! Will Africa ever learn?

[Cabby]

Different vantage point. Watch from 0.41
Shows the 139 kick right in the hover, before straightening up and dropping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSbbw3BxL90

VSbbw3BxL90