Quote;
"From the Aberdeen P & J today..."
"Residents of a North-East coastal village watch as a helicopter with a mechanical problem flew past their windows before making a precautioanry stop in a field nearby.
The helicopter was forced to land on the outskirts of Portsoy after parts of its rotor blade came lose in mid-flight.
The Bond registered helicopter's blade started to vibrate as it headed out towards the Moray Firth on Thursday afternoon.
As a precautionary measure, the aircraft had to put down at a headland to the west of the village. The Bolkow helicopter was escorted by an RAF Sea King which had been on exercise i the area. The pilot and engineer on board were on a contract for the National Lighthouse Board. They were unharmed. They were around 15 miles off the Moray coast when they noticed something was wrong and decided to land. An engineer was sent to the scene and within a couple of hours the helicopter was airborne again and continued on its flight.
The AAIB will look into the incident. It is understood that a tape attached to the rotor blade had become lose and begun to rattle."
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Bravo P and J! Another public disaster averted by a hairs breadth. Im only surprised that the pilot was not 'heroically wrestling with the controls! as the machine 'lurched towards disaster and a busy infants school'. Well done the journos!
Isnt this typical of the irresponsible sensasionalist rubbish that the local gutter press (of which the P & J is a prime exponent) spout about helicopters???
I forget how many times Ive had to deal with blade tape in a field with a pen knife, usually in pouring rain. No emergency, no panic, no problem.
This type of report coming from a paper whose area is highly dependant on the most professional of helicopter operations for its prosperity leaves me breathless with indignation.
P & J, shame, shame, shame on you.
Again.
(ex BV 234 man)