And now the fur flies. Ok, so now that the dust has settled somewhat lets get into this a little bit more. I take exception to John Stone stating that they have a 39 year long record of no "accidents".
That may be so, but they have a litany of incidents in their not to distant checkered past - like knocking the nose wheel off of the Citation during a night landing at an unlit airport - like running the blades of this very same helicopter through trees whilst doing a scene call, in a school yard if my memory serves me right -like running this very same helicopter out of fuel and ending up autorotating into a field at the edge of Cape Town.
To this last point I might add that I've heard that the opposition at the time (STARS) had turned the trip down as there was no way that they could figure out how and where to get reserve fuel from, for a minimum 2 hour 30 minute flight using their 105.
The lines of decision making appear to be flawed.
So if an "accident" is the pinnacle for alot of "incidents", one might say that this was an accident looking for a place to happen.
From what we are told or read about this accident, is there yet again not another flawed line of decision making. Here are some thoughts and questions.
1) Launch time 18h15 or there abouts. George Sunset 18h34. Check the 138 Ops criteria about scene calls or EMS operations after dark.
2) Why so long on the scene when apparently no extrication involved?
3) Departed scene at 19h50, last radio contact at 20h20 after which nothing heard. How many miles away from the scene was the wreckage and what were they trying to do for 30 or more minutes?
4) Drivers report that visibility along the roads in the area was intermittently obscurred by fog and rain at the time.
5) SA CARs say what about helicopter night flight - Multi engine, Multi Crew or stabilized auto pilot?
6) Was their 105 even remotely close to being instrumented for night flight and night scene calls?
Anybody else got something to add?
Ok. So now lets all put on our thinking caps, sit back in our arm chairs and start pondering and postulating.
Bring out the CAT.
DC