I cannot agree with you more Guns that you have to minimise the risks, but was done in CT?
Just as roads were cleared and blocked off in Sandton, and the residential block and airport hall were vacated in PTA and JHB Intl. But was it done properly, could they have done more to make the lifts safer, even though there were no incidents?
I believe where this accident happened in the Alps, they felt that all precautions were taken.
Conrad wasn't just of the most professional pilots I knew, he was also a great person and he was taken away well before his time.
His accident was the second lift of the morning when it happened. Apparently, he was not flying the second lift; the co-pilot was and the co-pilot did not maintain directional control.
Their tail rotor contacted a Stannic billboard, with deadly consequences.
A longer strop and better comm's could have possibly averted the accident, but should they not have removed the bill board as well?
This is the same as saying should they not have stopped the traffic, or should they not have stopped the cable cars.
BUT...
There is always, always, always a risk involved in our business in helicopter aviation. It is a fluid, think on your feet situation we find ourselves in. Absolutely dynamic and the only constant we have in our environment is the constant changes happening. Should that be weather, wind, other traffic or any how ever small emergencies we are faced with. We weren't made to fly or we would have been issued with our own wings.
Nevertheless, even if we take away mechanical failures and mother nature, you will always have the human factor to deal with.
There are many aspects of helicopter flying and there are even more specialities and specialists. But, even the very experienced specialists get it wrong sometimes, or just get very unlucky, as it appear the case was here and unfortunately there were others involved in the accident that just compounded the severity of it.
Anybody dying in any helicopter related accident is always sad. However, as it is usually newsworthy and thus sensationalised and with the media is all over it like a bad rash, their often inaccurate reporting further hypes the situation.
Thus I agree it goes about managing the risks, but also having a large degree of luck on our sides often helps. **** doesn't always happen to someone else, sometimes it happens to us. Shot down, double engine failure, dynamic rollover, accidental jettison's etc, etc, say no more...
The pilot involved has to live with his conscience for the rest of his life, if he was right or wrong in his approach and decision making. Eitherway, I’m glad I don’t have that burden on me. Take care not to have that burdon placed on you...
