PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Bristow S76 Ditched in Nigeria today Feb 3 2016
Old 12th Feb 2016, 14:56
  #152 (permalink)  
cpt
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: 1500' AMSL
Age: 67
Posts: 412
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Hi GulliBell,

Trying to figure out what could make me decide to ditch in this particular situation. Peharps a DAFCS or flight control malfunction, like a damper jam on the collective control, requiring a force of around 60 lbs to break the weak link or else an abnormal friction (as I recently have experienced on the rotor mast spherical bearing) can cause a restriction in this control, and may be misinterpreted as a servo failure.
Normally such a servo failure must be indicated by a "servo light" but tragic past events ( i.e the "baltic sea" accident) have proved that it may not always be the case.
In this situation, don't you think the decision to perform a safe forced landing when still with a limited control, becomes an option ?
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