Originally Posted by
BluSdUp
I understand You fly the AW101. What kind of mechanical failure would lead to this result?
Secondly, what error would a crew do to end up with such a catastrophic result?
Is the AW101 much different handling from the SeaKing the crew came from?
How good is the simulator the crew was trained in in Your opinion?
It was daylight and some gusty winds at the day,but nothing dramatic.
Looking forward to an insiders observations.
Any other AW101 drivers out there who care to comment on the handling peculiaritys and performance versus the SeaKing?
Hi guys, I’m a formal EH101 driver, 1500 hrs on it, the problem this machine has on the ground is that it has to be taxied without using the tail rotor thrust. It uses exclusively the main rotor thrust. The front wheel has a mechanic hydraulic steering and if you use the tail rotor you may encounter the situation the gentlemen faced. Other cause is the taxing with autopilot on. Unlike the other helicopters, the Merlin has to be taxied, to avoid any unwanted input on the TR, with the feet on the ground and apply breaks with the feet only on request. Is stated on the manual that taxi with the AP on is highly dangerous due to the heading hold function of the TR embedded in the system. Taxing with the autopilot on may induce rollover due to the increased thrust of the TR during any turn to maintain heading with the AP on (trim release microswitches are on the pedals).
Third and last option maybe that on the struts, there are some selectors to harden the struts when the helicopter is parked on a moving deck or in windy conditions, failure to release those may incur in a unbalanced taxi and possible ground resonance/dynamic rollover, I.E. one released one not or both unreleased.
Hope this helps understand my view but I’m not a test pilot or investigator.
Bye