Originally Posted by
NutLoose
Yup saw that, perhaps if they had the wire cutter this one has fitted then the damage would have been significantly less.......... could never understand the RAF mentality of letting the wire slide up into the intakes and possible the rotors, surely a cutting blade is the best way ....
Possibly true! Problem with the Puma (or at least it was when this was researched / discussed in the late 1970s) is that the aircraft nose structure has insufficient strength to carry a wire cutter. The only place to fix cutters is above the cockpit roof, so that the cut wire ends are likely to go into the rotors in any event. At least the Polyvalent intakes tend to hold a cable down, as in this and other incidents.
The Moroccan wirestrike crew were extremely lucky to survive their incident. 230 Sqn lost an aircraft and crew in December 1979 during Op Agila, in Rhodesia, to a "small" wirestrike, which took out the main rotor pitch change rods. In those days aircraft had open intakes, any wires taken rode up over the roof and into the swashplate area. RIP Mike Smith, Archie Cook and Bob Hodges.