S61 Engine Fail - SURGING
I was flying the S61 in question on final approach to Energy Enhancer - A "Jack Up" rig approx 85 miles NE of Humberside.
We had just commenced the turn onto finals at approx 400' 70 kts when a classic bang bang bang (although much quieter than I had always expected) was heard with the associated torque split and then fluctuations.
It was recognised as a surging number 1 engine (T5 was subsequently seen on HUMS as having peaked at 945 prior to it's shutdown) and the aircraft was turned away from the rig and the situation was dealt with as per the many times we have all done it in the sim and OPCs LPCs!
Company traffic that heard our Pan Call offered to divert to us because obviously we were only able to climb very slowly and were not showing on Anglia Radar. Also it is always nice to have a comfort blanket.
I can post the weights, fuels etc if any one is really interested - but will need to get out the flight log!
These events always get you thinking - no matter how experienced you are; Most of the return trip to Humberside was flown at 70 kts due to limited power. We had a ground speed of about 60 kts - now IF the winds had been what they were last week - then our ground speed would have been 25kts.
As always - perhaps the real heroes of all of these incidents are the radar controllers - and again on this occasion of particular note was how calm and professional Anglia Radar were:
1. No hassle after acknowledging Pan Call until we had sorted out aircraft.
2. They responded to the offer from the other company helicopter with a DR estimate of our position pending a GPS update from us after we had sorted out the problem.
3. RT was spot on - not too much, not too little and completely calm and accurate.
I telephoned Anglia Radar afterwards to say thank you to the obviously "Experienced Controller" to be told that he was a controller "Under Training" - hopefully he passed that assessment!!
On speaking to the Passengers afterwards they said they were still 100% confident in the S61 and perhaps even more so now that it had been proved to them that the old girls CAN fly on on engine even at perhaps the most critical point of flight!
Thank you for reading this.
RT