Originally Posted by
212man
I've never bought into that argument. G-TIGK autorotated without a tail rotor onto 6-7m seas and 30 kts, Cougar 491 was faced with 2.5m seas and 30 kts, and the ability to land with power.
Maybe so, but there are other variables in play. The S92 only had SS4 floats which put it pretty much on or slightly over the limit. And I don't think the crew had the actual SS figures at the point of possible ditching. Can you tell from 800'? TIGK was outside its SS limit but remained upright - however to extrapolate that all helicopters will be happy ditching above their SS doesn't seem a valid argument. Newfie air and water temperatures significantly lower than TIGK's - perhaps only an issue if you get wet! And time to rescue would have been much longer I think, since TIGK ditched very near a platform whereas I think the S92 was somewhat in the middle of nowhere. And the design strategy that means you can't inflate the floats until AFTER you ditch seems ludicrous for a "best in class" helicopter! Surely, depending on the exact timing of when you hit the button, the chances of overturning on ditching are increased? Presuming you are clear thinking enough to do it as icy water is coming in through the floor!
Anyway, the fact remains that there was a very avoidable technical problem and the crew decided not to ditch. I suggest some of the above factors were contributory to that decision.
I can't help feeling that if the crew with the first vespel spline problem had followed the RFM and ditched, and if the S92 plopping unscathed into a clearing in Borneo (thank heavens for deforestation) had been flying over the N Sea, it might be the S92 that has the bad social media profile.