AW139 Crash in Bahamas - 7 Killed

[Torquetalk]

Originally Posted by helonorth

Using the runway to get to V-mini and letting the autopilot do it's thing would have prevented this accident, IMO. Instead, whomever was flying got rushed, spatially disoriented, overrode the autopilot (not sure if they ever even reached V-mini, so it wouldn't have mattered) and did not reference the instruments.

The docket says the force trim release was engaged from TO to impact. The autopilot was probably never flying but it was set correctly set to indicated airspeed and heading.

The one pilot said he didn't want to use the hat for takeoff and also released the force trim. A terrible idea in those kind of WX conditions and the kind of takeoff it sounds like they used. They also probably felt rushed because of the situation with sick passengers needing medical attention. Everything lined up for a tragic outcome.

I don't understand why the pilot monitoring pretty much just watched the whole thing happen.

Clearly taking off from the runway is always the best option if available. But they were there illegally as the airport was closed, with pad, taxiway and runway lighting switched off. From the transcript it sounds like they were able to identify the tower from obstacle lights on it and they had some help on the ground providing lighting guidance to the pad. So the question is which illegal approach and departure with only on-board lighting and maybe golf cart lights would be safest…. trick question.

Taking off with the FTR on the cyclic depressed is normal enough. The power is set, a profile is flown to achieve a safe airspeed (40-50 KIAS), then released. The AW139 is really stable and will continue to fly the attitude hands and feet free without any further AFCS mode engagement (although clearly best practice). All CAT A profiles then ensure a climb and acceleration to at least Vy. Safe. Really safe. That‘s why commercial operators fly them.

The PM didn’t intervene because he wan’t one. This was two single pilots who didn’t plan (or even brief) either the approach or departure properly. Nothing was ever agreed. So at what point does the PM notice a deviation, when there is no standard or plan? If they had flown a defined CAT A pad departure from the pad, that both understood, and were practiced in, then the outcome would surely have been very different. And there is another of the lamentable parallels with the G-LABL accident. The PNFs insight before impact was needed whilst they were still on the ground.