PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Police helicopter crashes onto Glasgow pub
Old 14th Feb 2014, 14:14
  #1944 (permalink)  
G0ULI
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Norfolk
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Redesign Needed Methinks

Given that helicopter performance is governed and severely compromised by weight constraints, it seems ludicrous that 85Kg of unuseable fuel has to be carted around. It should be possible to drain pretty much every last drop of fuel from the tanks if necessary.

While there appears to have been a mistake made turning off both transfer pumps, it would make more sense to have a failsafe system where fuel flows to the engines until the fuel tanks are completely empty unless at least two switches per engine are operated to stop flow in event of an emergency such as fire or turbine failure.

My interpretation while reading the report suggests that the flight displays and radio altimeter also failed or became unreliable/inoperable once the second engine spooled down and the generators went off line. The shed load switch was found still in its normal position, so the drain on the battery would have been significant with apparent attempts being made to restart an engine.

Looks like the low fuel warnings were ignored despite all the naysayers earlier in the thread.

So redesign the fuel system and develop a system to automatically shed electrical load when or if both generators drop off line.
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