crash comic, yeah well don't believe everything that your read in a newspaper they say.
Yeah well, I learnt not to believe a lot of what a chief pilot or CASA had to say either.
I must say I'm impressed with the advice to spin it up to 3400. How does that comply with the requirements of CAR 138. What dispensation did you have, it seems indicative of the pervasive cowboy nature of helicopter ops IMHO.
If I seem hard nose, let me explain. On a beautiful tropical morning we launched at 0600 with a flight of five Hueys to an airstrip some distance away to conduct combat assaults. I was tail end charlie (#5) and following refueling and shutting down at the strip, I was engaged in conversation with #4. He complained about certain problems with his aircraft and I volunteered to fly in his place, as the mission had only called for 4 aircraft, and I and my crew had been put on standby. He was adamant that he would fly the mission. I could very well have pulled rank and told him that I would fly in his place, but I respected his abilities, as we had been through some tough times together, and let him have his way.
While basking in the sunshine following their launch for the CA we saw the C & C aircraft come into POL, which was unusual as the flight usually landed well before C & C. C & C landed at POL and a figure could be seen walking down the airstrip towards us at the opposite end of the strip. I walked up the strip to meet him half way to find it was our CO in tears. #4 had crashed with the loss of all on board, 4 crew and 10+ pax. There was an official finding to the cause, but with my conversation with the AC prior to the flight I have a fair idea to the real cause, which is at complete odds with the official finding.
It is somewhat mind concentrating to stand along side a Huey, the top of which reaches your throat, the interior painted red rather than the military grey, and picking pieces of nomex containing flesh off bolt heads.
RIP guys, very few appreciate what we went through and did.