Mil-8 throws blade

[Cyclic Hotline]

Helicopter blade hits tourists

From correspondents in Moscow
September 15, 2004

A ROTOR blade separated from a helicopter and hit a tent at a hunting and fishing camp today in northern Russia, killing two people, a Russian news agency reported.

Several other people were injured in the incident, which happened along the river Volonga in the remote Yamal-Nenets autonomous region, 3000km north-east of Moscow, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

The Mi-8 helicopter was on the ground with its engine running when one of the blades broke off and flew into a tent where people were eating breakfast, ITAR-Tass said.

It was unclear if the helicopter was taking off and landing or what caused the blade to break off.

ITAR-Tass said the camp catered to wealthy tourists, who paid as much as $US1800 ($2591) a week to stay there.

[MightyGem]

Lucky they were on the ground at the time. :uhoh:

[Lu Zuckerman]

The news report did not mention what happened to the helicopter at the instant the blade departed the rotorhead but then again it may have the same characteristics as the US Army H-37.

Many moons ago when I was a training manager I monitored a class conducted by a US Army Sargent who was teaching a class on the H-37 dynamics system. A student asked the instructor what would happen if the H-37 threw a blade in flight. The Sargent stated that since the rotorhead was articulated the remaining rotors would reposition themselves keeping the rotor system in balance. FYI the centrifugal / centripetal loading on the blade is 72,000 pounds.


:E :E

[Vfrpilotpb]

Good morning Lu,

If that is so, if flying and under full load conditions would it still balance out and allow safe touchdown, and then a safe shutdown, or would it go raggy somewhere?
PeterR-B
Vfr

[ShyTorque]

If what Lu says is correct (I'm sure it is), the instant the blade departed that aircraft would be suddenly subject to a sideways load of minus 72,000 lbs through it's main gearbox mountings, leaving the occupants at somewhat of a disadvantage. :uhoh:

If in flight at the time I don't think a safe landing would be an option as the main rotor gearbox would not still be attached to the airframe in its normal manner. The pilot would probably be beyond caring as he would be wondering why he was wearing the instrument panel on his nose. :\

[Hilico]

And wouldn't three blades provide less lift than four?

[S76Heavy]

If I understand correctly, G-BJVX shed only half a blade in flight and that tore the top of the aircraft. So I suspect the Mil at least must have rolled over as it was on the ground.