woops - Tricycle Chinook

[Tiger_mate]

What happened at Abingdon Chinook chappies?

Looked like a benign landing (1502L) followed by a departure to Odiham with three wheels, having lost back right somewhere!

Was Odiham the nearest suitable landing site from Abingdon?

Seriously though, good display until then and it did not appear to be a "heavy" landing.

[Green Bottle 2]

Yes TM Odiham would have been the most suitable aerodrome. The ac cannot land and shutdown without the wheel. There is an SOP at Odiham to deal with such eventualities and all the kit is readily available, so it is the best diversion.

[Conan the Librarian]

Yup, thought I was seeing things for a second or two. Am just downloading over 300 pics to the PC and may have something there. Far more important to know that crew and aircraft are safe. If the guys pick up this thread, thank you for a truly superb display.

[Onan the Clumsy]

all the kit is readily available you mean a big block of wood?

[Conan the Librarian]

I have one picture available - if anybody can either host it, or wants to have the original, please PM me and tell me who you are. Time now 1949L and will be here until 2015L

Otherwise a lovely show. Well done to the organisers.

regards,

J

[rotorcraig]

We took some photos too. The earlier ones with 4 wheels...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/rotorcraig/post/DSCN1851.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/rotorcraig/post/DSCN1855.jpg

... and the later ones with 3!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/rotorcraig/post/DSCN1856.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/rotorcraig/post/DSCN1858.jpg

Good to hear all safe and well!

RC

[diginagain]

Which jobsworth decreed that a hi-vis jacket was required in the back?:cool:

Seriously though, good to hear that it all turned out OK.

[ShyTorque]

3 wheels on my Wokka, an' I'm still rollin' along.......
OC JHC is after me,
Flamin' spears burn my ears,
But I'm singing a happy song....

Well someone had to say it..... :O

Saw this happen to a Helikopter Service 432, at Forus Heliport, Stavanger, about twenty years ago.

[PileUp Officer]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/rotorcraig/post/DSCN1855.jpg

Typical crewman! ;)

[Chinook]

Not wishing to spread a rumour or disparage anyone, but I sincerely hope the swivel locks were 'locked' ......

[diginagain]

I'm sure we'll find out, one way or t'other, in the fullness of time!

[rivetjoint]

Hi-viz jacket was a new touch for the display season, not H&S gone made, unlike the Merlin display you could actually see the loadie on the ramp!

[Agaricus bisporus]

The only "steerable" wheel on a Chinook is the RH rear and this puts it under quite a lot of strain when turning - and to taxy with due consideration, I remember being well aware of this during ground ops. I also seem to remember that we were told that the rear u/c legs were a weak point in an otherwise incredibly tough aircraft. I was told in my conversion (to a BV234 which is identical in most respects) that this wheel had a history of falling off occasionally and I think (I cant find my old checklist right now) that we had a procedure in there to deal with it - like Don't land until there's a cushion of tyres or similar.

Hardly a big dealthough, is it?

[PICKS135]

the moment of truth

Ooops (http://www.ukar.co.uk/board/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=10;t=2437)

[Skeleton]

Didn't realise crime happened in places such as Abingdon.

2 seconds on the ground and some bugger is off with a wheel......:p

[ConwayB]

Well, well, well!

Same thing happened to me... same wheel, too! And I was on the ground!

Was doing a torque differential check as part of a maintenance test flight. 60% torque on one engine and it will usually lift the forward gear off the ground... and that's the configuration and attitude we were in. Wind was a direct headwind of about 15 knots which was pushing against the belly of the aircraft which was bearing the force of that 15 knots.

Suddenly, there was an odd sound and the aircraft lurched. The aft right gear collapsed and we had to hover taxi back to the apron where our maintenance personnel had a jack ready and a stack of tyres (tires for our American friends).

After some ginger hovering/resting on the tyres, the jack was put in place on the jacking point and the weight taken.

Then a normal shutdown... and then the abnormal paperwork.

The cause? Not quite sure. Could have been a failure of the swivel locks (or a failure to put them on by the other pilot) or fatigue of the strut. It's interesting to see other Chinook drivers experience the same problem or witness it.

The aircraft was flying again the next day.

Overall, no big deal. The 'Chook' is a great aircraft to fly!

If you're interested in aviation art (including Chinook pictures), check out my website at www.ipas.com.au

Cheers and safe flying.

[airborne_artist]

Here are Conan's pictures of the rotary Reliant Robin, sorry Chinook

http://www.flynavy.flyer.co.uk/three_wheels_large.jpg

http://www.flynavy.flyer.co.uk/three_wheels.jpg

[NineLima]

Glad to hear everbody got home safe and well!

http://www.pbase.com/stevieb/image/42862422.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/stevieb/image/42862431.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/stevieb/image/42862628.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/stevieb/image/42846133.jpg

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

RJ,
Why would the crowd wish to see someone SAT, legs dangling in the wind and looking like a "lime green dosser":rolleyes: .....not very proffesional looking and no doubt his display season is about to finish:yuk:

all spelling misatkes are "df" alcohol induced

[rivetjoint]

I was stood next to an 18 Sqn pilot who was talking a 28 Sqn pilot through their display (until the wheel fell off) and it seems the hi-viz has gone down well...

[Door Slider]

I was working in the Guard room at a certain SH base not far from Abingdon. Lots of flying and noise complaints recieved :-(
One bloke complained saying he thought world war three had started. If it had would he mind us low flying then????

[airborne_artist]

Door Slider

Hope the complainers were all from Abingdon - I'm about 2m SW of you, and we had no air show traffic here at all, with the possible of two inbound Moths in the am.

Your turn will come when you host Families Day - then the wallys of Wallyford will be bending your ear!

[tmmorris]

Oh for C4ri5t's sake, it's one airshow a year, not low flying every day of the month!

Sadly I was stuck in the garden about 3 miles NE putting up a new climbing frame for the boy - I really wanted to go. Grrr. Still, a few things did fly over on their way to/fro (and I saw some of the practice on Sat!)

Tim

[Door Slider]

airborne_artist


Dont know if you saw or heard the F3 we had in last week, that generated a few complaints and it only landed and took off once!

[BEagle]

Have just seen the video of the aircraft losing the rear starboard undercarriage at Abingdon on Central TV South news. Presented by the delightful Hannah who even knows how to pronounce 'Chinook' correctly!

The aircraft was in a nose high attitude on the RW and came to a halt before slowly reversing. As it did so, the rear starboard undercarriage leg appeared to rotate rapidly around the vertical axis before failing. The aircraft was very rapidly lifted off the RW before departing the display.

The only thing I've learned about those 'orrid clatterin' things (apart from what fun they can be - thanks, JJ!) is that they're at their most dangerous when on the ground with rotors running. Lifting off smartish seemed a very sound and instinctive move by the mate at the helm!

[FlyAny]

Flew Chinooks 18 years. Never heard of a wheel falling off before.

I too would consider that it had been stolen!

[smithoag]

airborne artist/doorslider,
noted your comments re aircraft noise complaints in S.Oxon with interest.
I am an aviation enthusiast living in Diddycot,not too far from you guys,where I run an aviation enthusiasts club(Oxfordshire Aviation Group).Obviously we are biased toward there being more aircraft noise in these 'ere parts,but seriously,if there is anything we can do to help you keep the natives friendly let me know...after all we're all on the same side!!!!!
rgds
Colin
(smithoag)

[airborne_artist]

I'm all for plenty of LL noise - it's the sound of freedom, but the old dears of Wallyford need a change of underwear if a FJ goes overhead at less than 30,000'. They got very moany about the last families day at Benson - much of which could have been solved if they had been told about it in advance.

The problem was that some muppet decided that it would be a security risk for the station to pre-warn (rolls eyes with total amusement) - despite the fact that the Falcons freefall team website had their schedule for the year (dated April 2004) fully detailed, inc. the Benson day ...

The day itself was fine, but the departing Tonka driver (the next day) clearly needed to show off to all the girls he'd tried chatting up in the bar, and so he cranked a tight turn at about 2,000' above Artist Towers, in preparation for a run-in across the airfield, to the slight consternation of my pikey-style collection of nags.

Back to the topic - the 28 Sqn Merlin ALM displaying at Abi says he's got the missing wheel, destined for 28's bar!

[animo et fide]

AA - You need to tell your magical merlin alm that he talks poop, the wheel was taken back to Odi for the Boeing rep to look at


AeF

[TheWizard]

AA - You need to tell your magical merlin alm that he talks poop, the wheel was taken back to Odi for the Boeing rep to look at

Only after it had been indeed taken back to 28 crewroom and then collected for its journey to Odious, so not entirely poop really.:D


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Brighton_Tiger/wfo.jpg

[raid]

Well i was at Odiham when the chinook returned. They used sandbags to make up for the wheel lost.


Please repost the picture in a smaller size ... it's way too big for PPRuNe !! Thanks. PPRuNe Admin team

[The Helpful Stacker]

I remember being at Ex-RAF Finningly a few years back on an exercise with a Herc, a Chinook and some Lynx helicopters and the A/C hadn't been there more than half an hour before someone was at the gate complaining. BTW, this was at the time many of the locals were campaigning to turn the airfield into Doncaster International!!

A 747 cargo conversion is ever so slightly more noisy than a Herc I believe.

[Safety_Helmut]

THS

"I remember when...."
So what's your point then ?

SH

[TheWizard]

THS
wrong thread methinks???:confused:

[The Helpful Stacker]

So what's your point then ?

Errr, folk moaning about low flying A/C noise.

Try reading the whole thread rather than taking titbits at random eh?

:rolleyes:

[The Helpful Stacker]

Been following thread for a while. I thought it was all about a lost wheel, and, I suspect that the 30 odd other posts on the same subject support that view.

What apart from,

I was working in the Guard room at a certain SH base not far from Abingdon. Lots of flying and noise complaints recieved :-(
One bloke complained saying he thought world war three had started. If it had would he mind us low flying then????

by 'Door Slider' followed by,

Hope the complainers were all from Abingdon - I'm about 2m SW of you, and we had no air show traffic here at all, with the possible of two inbound Moths in the am.

Your turn will come when you host Families Day - then the wallys of Wallyford will be bending your ear!

from 'Airborne Artist', then a comment from 'tmmorris', another by 'Door Slider', one by 'smithoag', another from 'Airborne Artist' then followed up with my comment.

As for,

Reminds me a bit of a stacker who once asked if he could put a large STC containing some very delicate and expensive avionics on its side on a pallet. The large letters SHOUTING "this way up" complete with arrows didn't convince him of the need to keep it upright. Wasn't you was it ?

Pathetic, very pathetic, although if its true it makes a change from some Cosford by-product taking STC's home to turn into a shed or bird table. And no it wasn't me BTW. I've never had the misfortune to work in an ESG luckily.

Come back when you've learnt to be more witty eh?



:rolleyes:

[Conan the Librarian]

Have found a most wonderful picture of the moment where the Wokka went from free wheeling to three wheeling. Not one of mine though and in consequence, I am trying to contact the photographer for permission to post his work here. It really is a beaut - so watch this space!

Hope to be back soonest with good news and a picture or two


nitey nite!

[Conan the Librarian]

Yesterday, I found the picture that I think everyone has been looking for. Sadly, despite strenuous and more than reasonable efforts, I haven't as yet been able to source the photographer. However, the shot was in the public domain and so I foresee no obvious problems.

Andy Evans, wherever you are - this is your work and I am sure that everyone here will join me in saying well done on a superb picture.

Conan the Librarian

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/zorbathegeek/heli08emJPEG.jpg

[camaro]

Another shot just prior to wheel collapse. (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/834534/L/)



....and after. (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/833528/L/ )

[WokkaCrewman]

I was in Norway very recently and exactly the same thing happened. The aircraft was landed onto the taxiway very gently and on touch down the rear right wheel became detached from the aircraft. On recovering the wheel a relatively clean shear was observed just below the pivot point of the wheel.

As far as I am aware the incident is still under investigation.

My own thoughts for these occurences however are these :

The aircraft operates normally at around 15 to 16 tonnes and short field running landings are practised from time to time. Obviously the aim is to land on with a very slight (4 - 5 kt ) fwd gnd speed. However depending on Pilot experience, visual references, condition of terrain and slope this is not always achieved causing a faster or heavier landing than preffered. I wonder if there is a form of accumulative fatigue creeping in here? Bearing in mind the power steering module is located on the rh rw and most of the instances seem to be with the rh wheel perhaps there is overloading of the wheel structure occuring?

Just my thoughts however
I might be talking bo**ocks:O