Hi all,
Helicopter pilots nightmare - loosing the tail rotor.
Checking the tail rotor drive shaft and bearings? I haven't flown any helicopter, where you could remove the cover without tools - so I just use a light and the holes to take a look, where I can. Wouldn't blame the pilot on missing the rag in there!
Regarding the saying, every landing, you can walk away from, is a good landing,
every landing you can use the aircraft again is a very good landing
Was there a chance for a "very good landing"? (i.e. a run on at the next airport?)
What are the flight characteristics of an A109 without the tail rotor turning?
Could you keep it flying like an EC 155 or BK 117 (both with either one giant fin or "surf boards" attached to the stabilizer, as long as you keep the speed up or is the tail-fin of the A109 to small to counteract the torque?
Still, the time for the decision is short and with a broken drive shaft there might have been additional banging noises out of the back, indicating further damage to be, so that the decision to autorotate was immanent.
Just curious cause a have my next go at helisim in a few days and I'm sure, there will be the one or the other fenestron failure to be dealt with - and I'm sure, without that training I certainly would have bent any bird with such an failure!
Glad to hear, that the pilot survived the nightmare and can walk again!
Greetings Flying Bull