Any truth in this rumour?

[Flying Lawyer]

I was told today that a BK105 was lost overboard from a ship last week.

The story was that plastic sheeting was laid down to protect the deck from skid marks when it landed. All was well until the ship went under way when wet plastic turned out not to be an ideal surface to hold a helicopter on a pitching deck. :uhoh:
The last sighting of the 105 was its tail-rotor disappearing into the depths of the sea. :ooh:

The story may have been improved in the telling before it got to me.
Is there any truth in it?

Bond and a Trinity House vessel were mentioned.

FL

[Helipolarbear]

Check the AAIU prelim's posted....might mention something about a heli falling off a ship...:cool:

[HeliEng]

Yes, I believe there is truth in your rumour.

Heard about it myself today.

Apparently crew member/engineer got to the edge just in time to watch her take her last breath!!!!

Oh dear!



"Mad as a mooing fish!!"

[B Sousa]

FL, thats great.........cant wait to hear who got fired over that one. Sounds like ships captain showing how much he knows about helicopters. Keep the deck nice for the VIPS.
Saw a lot of that mentality in the Caribbean. On some yachts they are not allowed to wear shoes inside due to silk rugs.....(crew that is)
Oppulance is great....Stupidity greater
Lots of deep pockets, BO-105 is chump change....

[Governormalfunction]

I've also heard it's a VERY strong rumour.....could almost be completley true. Who needs the dunker?

OUCH!!!

[boomerangben]

The rumour I heard was that it was last seen on the back of a ship with seaweed hanging off the tail rotor and a fish flapping around on the pilots seat.

[Heliport]

http://img83.exs.cx/img83/8546/FMPAni1Small.gif
'It'll be fine', you said.
'Don't worry', you said.

[B Sousa]

So it must all be a rumor as none have come forth with something substantial........

[BHPS]

Hi

It is true. Taken from the North Wales Daily Post:

TV star in copter rescue Sep 17 2004

By Steve Bagnall, Daily Post

TV PRESENTER Ben Fogle had to be rescued by helicopter after being marooned on a storm-swept North Wales island.

An RAF Valley Sea King helicopter was scrambled to the Skerries, off Anglesey's Carmel Head, to airlift the Countryfile presenter and his six TV crew to safety.

They became stranded after gales blew the Bolko 105 helicopter, used to ferry them to the island, off a ship and into the sea.

Nobody was injured in the accident. The boat, the Patricia, and the helicopter were to appear in a Countryfile feature exploring the work they do servicing Britain's lighthouses and buoys.

Seas were too rough to send out a boat, so the Sea King was scrambled. The RAF crew battled high winds, heavy rain and poor visibility to land on an island linked to the one where the team was marooned, and get them aboard.

The 30-year-old TV star said they realised there was trouble while they were on the small island.

Speaking to the Daily Post last night, Ben said: "We heard that there had been a helicopter accident but didn't know anything else.

"Obviously our main worry was that somebody may have been hurt, but thankfully that was not the case.

"Initially the helicopter crews were going to winch us aboard but they found an island to land on.

"The coastguard and the helicopter crew were just so brilliant in the way they came straight out and picked us up."

Ben and the crew were taken to the Holyhead Coastguard base and carried on filming.

But the popular TV presenter was left considering how the TV trip to North Wales may have turned to tragedy.

[B Sousa]

Thanks BHPS. Sounds like someone will be seriously embarrassed more than anything else.

[sycamore]

IF, the `rumour` is true , then they should all `walk the plank`, for shutting down and not securing the a/c to the deck; and if the `plastic sheeting` was there, then they should be `keel-hauled` as well.`They` in this case refers to the ship`s Captain, 1`st Officer, LSO, and the A/C Captain for displaying a total lack of `common-sense`.....:mad: :8

[Bronx]

Funny how the 'official' version given to the newspapers "gales blew the Bolko 105 helicopter off a ship" don't say nothing about the wet slippery plastic sheeting folks in the industry seem to know about. ;)

[Vfrpilotpb]

Will some one give the rest of us a clue as to Value of said Bolkow?

Vfr

[Hilico]

Sory to disappoint those who wish to keelhaul / flog for their incompetence the entire crew of the ship in question, but there was no 'plastic sheet', the a/c was tied down, and the North Wales Daily Post report is in all essentials correct - the 105 was blown off by gale-force winds despite being lashed down on a netted surface by a crew who are experienced in these matters.

On the other hand, rumours that I only know anything about it because of where I live and who my next-door neighbour is are entirely without foundation.

[Gomer Pylot]

Aircraft are lost in the GOM every year by being blown off helidecks. Even very big, thick tiedowns don't help - the hardpoints just tear out of the helicopter, leaving the tiedowns intact but the helicopter is gone. In this case, the pilot isn't usually fired. :}

The value of a BO105 depends a lot on the installed options, but it likely will be in the neighborhood of $US 1 million.

[LordGrumpy]

So after this episode there will be a few more.
But no lives lost and thats the win.