LTE in this case is clearly
Lack of Tailrotor Education
The R44 tail rotor does not run out of effectiveness
The R44 tail rotor does not run out of effectiveness
(unless there is some other factor: blocked pedal with telephone .... etc)
It is a common error to get the wind 'wrong' by 180 deg....
... when the behavior of the helicopter no longer makes sense the pilot's brain can seize.
He
does press the left pedal but is too timid - he fails to get the response he expects - worse : he appears to get the opposite effect , as the weather-cocking increase beats his yaw response rate - the RIGHT yaw rate increases
co-inciding with the (timid) rate at which he is applying LEFT pedal - the pedals
appear to be working in reverse - he changes his strategy (after about 120degrees) presses the right pedal - the yaw continues through 'into wind' to 'tail wind' again and
the pilot is out of control.
(Just like the Australian Video - link please).
(spinning helicopter, airspeed tends to zero - more power is required to sustain a hover - more left pedal is required than would previously have been sufficient (still no shortage of available T/R thrust))
If the pilot attempts any drastic actions at this stage he will probably be causing himself further problems (... like the Australian case where the pilot CLOSES THE THROTTLE
- the RRPM fall to an extra-ordinary low rate, 50%!? (measure it..) fortunately there is enough time for the pilot to
stop trying to do anything and the pilot discovers that everything is working just fine, without any pilot input, recovery results).
In Rio at 23.7 seconds this pilot attempts quite a hard but brief press on the left pedal which results in a small RRPM droop - the horn and buzzer come on (futher overloading our cautious aviator's brain) - at 24 seconds the pilot responds (
almost instantly) to the horn by dumping the lever (as he has been pre-programmed to do) watch the helicopter drop sharply by about 10feet corresponding to an almost complete dumping of the lever for a short time.
The helicopter approaches the (not so) soft landing cushion and its pilot is already mentally committed to crashing because he is so confused. He fails to realise that the helicopter is not really yawing much anymore and is in a totally controllable state - resigned however - and with insufficient height to have the time to realise NOTHING IS WRONG - he continues with his pointless crash.
This is L T Ed
It is a while since I read the Gazelle accident in Yorkshire, but I can't remember that it was attributed to LTE in any singular and causal sense.
Correct - the AAIB did not conclude that - however it is fairly clear that was a
highly probable cause ... radar trace shows approach down(40kt)wind, probably unintended. Rapid unexpected weather-cocking in a Gazelle is dramatic - large fin/long arm.
BUT i don't
know - i wasn't there....
They are unlikely to conclude that since "LTEd" is not really recognised/taught.
I think the recommendations implied the Yorkshire accident was something to do with being taught in a "Registered Facility" on a Turbine instead of at a Type Rating Training Organisation - I think - and paperwork had not been correctly addressed and so it was recommended that there should be more oversight of training by the NAA - some rules were changed etc...
The R44 tail rotor does not run out of effectiveness
.... does anyone know the PA and temperature of this accident?