Originally Posted by
SASless
What would you have done.....land on the road or out in the open field next to the road?
My EMS experience would be the open field using the drive way as the landing spot and have the ground EMS unit transport the patient to that spot.
It does appear landing on the road at the junction with the driveway would work if it was the intended landing site.
I have seen fences cut to facilitate that kind of access to a pasture or hay field when necessary.
I have also landed on road ways that had clear flat unobstructed access and afforded a satisfactory landing area.
The investigation will be able to determine the intended landing site and then be able to determine if the aircraft struck wires or not.
Even with NVIS these days my mantra regarding supplemental aircraft light is find a reason to turn it OFF, rather than ON. Get plenty of white light out there to illuminate wires, improve general vision and assist if you have an NVIS failure. I turn it off rarely, usually only due to particles such as moisture, smoke or dust in the air.
Easy from the armchair, but looking at the pictures I would have approached steep and slow to the clear area between the dam and the road and then hover taxied as required for landing on the driveway, even between the dams. There doesn't appear to be too much slope from the imagery. It's great access for a road ambulance to come to you.
If I have any doubts, I'll even pull up in about a 200' hover and have a really good scan before proceeding in steep and slow. If power is an issue I can then fly away. As SASless says, engine failure should not be the prime concern here, wires/obstacles/dust and power margin should be.
Having said all that, who knows what caused the accident, and RIP to those two men.