Bolkow force lands

[U R NumberOne]

From the Aberdeen P & J today...

Residents of a North-East coastal village watch as a helicopter with a mechanical problem flew past their windows before making a precautioanry stop in a field nearby.

The helicopter was forced to land on the outskirts of Portsoy after parts of its rotor blade came lose in mid-flight.

The Bond registered helicopter's blade started to vibrate as it headed out towards the Moray Firth on Thursday afternoon.

As a precautionary measure, the aircraft had to put down at a headland to the west of the village. The Bolkow helicopter was escorted by an RAF Sea King which had been on exercise i the area. The pilot and engineer on board were on a contract for the National Lighthouse Board. They were unharmed. They were around 15 miles off the Moray coast when they noticed something was wrong and decided to land. An engineer was sent to the scene and within a couple of hours the helicopter was airborne again and continued on its flight.

The AAIB will look into the incident. It is understood that a tape attached to the rotor blade had become lose and begun to rattle.

[helidrvr]

Sounds like blade tape to me. If that's what it was, it's happened before and will no doubt continue to happen from time to time.

It can make a nasty rattle though, that I'll admit.

[4Rvibes]

It was a piece of blade tape which had come lose after a flight in heavy rain. A 4 inch track split was reported. The Mayday was downgraded from what I hear but nobody caught the call. Pretty scarey at the time I imagine.

[sprocket]

An operator that I was working for, stopped using blade tape because 90% of their flying was over water. If tape started to loosen there was nowhere to put down and remove it until next landfall. Apparently it can get a bit stressful for the driver and fare paying pax.

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Its a big thing...when you look into it !

[capt waffoo]

Quote;

"From the Aberdeen P & J today..."

"Residents of a North-East coastal village watch as a helicopter with a mechanical problem flew past their windows before making a precautioanry stop in a field nearby.

The helicopter was forced to land on the outskirts of Portsoy after parts of its rotor blade came lose in mid-flight.

The Bond registered helicopter's blade started to vibrate as it headed out towards the Moray Firth on Thursday afternoon.

As a precautionary measure, the aircraft had to put down at a headland to the west of the village. The Bolkow helicopter was escorted by an RAF Sea King which had been on exercise i the area. The pilot and engineer on board were on a contract for the National Lighthouse Board. They were unharmed. They were around 15 miles off the Moray coast when they noticed something was wrong and decided to land. An engineer was sent to the scene and within a couple of hours the helicopter was airborne again and continued on its flight.

The AAIB will look into the incident. It is understood that a tape attached to the rotor blade had become lose and begun to rattle."

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Bravo P and J! Another public disaster averted by a hairs breadth. Im only surprised that the pilot was not 'heroically wrestling with the controls! as the machine 'lurched towards disaster and a busy infants school'. Well done the journos!

Isnt this typical of the irresponsible sensasionalist rubbish that the local gutter press (of which the P & J is a prime exponent) spout about helicopters???

I forget how many times Ive had to deal with blade tape in a field with a pen knife, usually in pouring rain. No emergency, no panic, no problem.

This type of report coming from a paper whose area is highly dependant on the most professional of helicopter operations for its prosperity leaves me breathless with indignation.

P & J, shame, shame, shame on you.

Again.


(ex BV 234 man)

[cyclic]

The Sea King was returning from a job via Aberdeen.
The B105 was no where near any houses.
The blade tape had come off.
The down grade from Mayday was heard by one and all.

P&J - total tosh!

[EESDL]

Walter the Wessex lived on blade tape, especially in the sunny climes of NI, but my worst experience was in a 206 a couple of weeks ago.
Coming back from a show at Southend, routing around Elstree for WW, misjudged the severity of a rain shower. The ac quickly started vibrating vertically, to such an extent that it was difficult to keep my feet on the pedals! New experience for me, despite my time in NI. Put down in a field, Elstree told Thames what I was doing. Tried to strip the tape, but the step ladder was sinking into the mud quicker than I could climb them!! Eventually succeeded (it didn't take much tape to cause the severe vibes) and proceed on my merry way without further incident. Learnt a few lessons in that one! I was lucky, I was over land....