K-1200 crash June 2010 Idaho
http://www.nwcn.com/news/idaho/Pilot-killed-in-Idaho-helicopter-crash-near-Donnelly-identified-96577939.html
The pilot was my father, he had been flying since Vietnam and was a love he maintained throughout his life. The K-MAX involved was, to my understanding, the highest flight hour machine in the air at the time. My dad had flow K-MAXs for approx 16 years and a steady with this machine for some 7+ years with the a consistent maintenance team described in his own words "as some of the best he has ever worked with".
In the spirit of this forum, the belief that sharing helps heal the living, and the hope that information in relevant hands is useful, I offer my perspective. The NTSB investigation is still in process but having first hand interaction with the woods crew and individuals working the crash site, the information has provided some insight for me.
The incident occurred well into a cycle with minutes of fuel on board, he had just pulled a turn and was navigating the load through the departure path still at very low air speed. Witnesses on the ground heard a loud POP and saw a piece, then more separating from the aircraft. The airframe landed upside down, directly on the load it was carrying, long line still attached.
A single piece of rotor from the servo flap to the tip was reportedly found by itself well away from the crash site while the other three were found in lengths consistent with the strike distance between the towers near the fuselage. The un-separated pieces of all 4 rotor blades were still firmly in their respective grips on the towers. Both sets of rotor blades had been reconditioned by Kaman at their recommended intervals, recently back from the 3rd reconditioning, 4th flight cycle.
NTSB still investigating.
My dad touched many lives in his work and outside, selfishly, he is missed