Westpac Helicopter

[helo1]

1 of the Westpac helicopters made a forced landing in the country.
Not sure where or what 1 it was.
Doctor and Paramedic ok and still continued on to the accident it was responding to.
Anyone got anymore info please post it

[helo1]

Just had an update.
Westpac 3 had problems at 6500 feet and crash landed on its side, reports are saying that a doctor on board has a broken nose and others have cuts and abrasions.
Westpac 3 is a 407

[Nigel Osborn]

According to their CEO, the 407 had an engine failure.:rolleyes:

[Capt Hollywood]

News link here

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21159383-5001021,00.html

[Hyster]

Anyone know what happened to the engine? Heard they got a chip light followed by the engine rolling back to idle with some strange engine noises?? Apparently it only just returned post 300 hrly insp's.:rolleyes:

[DARK SHADOW]

News has it that the A/C had chip light warning, the crew where attempting to do a emergency landing when overhead power lines where spotted. The crew then turned to avoid them to get the A/C done safely when engine failed. Pilot did a amazing job in getting the A/C down, but A/C is a right-off. Crew got slight injuries. Just goes to show the experience and training these guys do really does pay off. Well done to the pilot and crew, and hope you are all back up in the air soon. Keep up the great work.

[Shirtless]

Quote: "According to their CEO, the 407 had an engine failure.:rolleyes:"

Why the sarcasm Nigel? Don't you believe that engines can fail?

I guess if this was a ME aircraft then it would of been a non-event with the faulty engine shut-down and aircraft flown back for a landing with no damage to aircraft and no risk to the occupants!;)

[Nigel Osborn]

I fail to see where I've been sarcastic as I was simply quoting a comment made by RJ in the news.
During the last 50 years I've had my fair share of engine failures in singles & twins, so I'm very aware of the problems involved.:ugh:

[Westerntribal]

Does anyone know if 1 and 2 have been grounded?

[split pin]

My sauce tells me both 1 & 2 are online. Should not matter as I believe they are 412's. Also heard damaged aircraft will probably take quite a bit of time to repair. Congrats to the driver, sounds like he saved few a bums.

[woolzer]

Nigel,

I think Shirtless was just seeing the sarcasm from the :rolleyes: face, which implies sarcasm!!

[Westerntribal]

Westpac 1 is a 412SP... Westpac 2 is a 407... as far as I know they havn't flown any sorties since yesterday afternoon but it could just be a quiet at the moment ?

[gulliBell]

Video of the crash site on 10 News tonight shows a virtual write-off, with the aircraft obviously deformed, laying on its right side minus the tail boom. The forced landing area appears to be well chosen, being a large open level flat grassed paddock. However for some reason the thing has rolled over on landing and self-destructed. Reports also that 5 people were on board which, if true, surprises me as a 407 is a small machine and it was on its way to the retrieval scene.

[godsgift]

The forced landing area appears to be well chosen, being a large open level flat grassed paddock. However for some reason the thing has rolled over on landing and self-destructed

Comeing across powerlines whilst conducting an auto, (which I assume were only spotted late in the approach) in a 407 flying with 5 pob at that density altitude and then still being able to walk away with minor injuries to the pob. I think it just goes to show the capabilities of both the aircraft and pilot.

If I'm fortunate enough to meet this pilot in a pub, I'm buying the next round!:D

[RWJackOfAllTrades]

Well done to the PIC concerned. A 407 is not the nicest machine in the world to perform an auto in...at the best of times when they are light they auto like a large house brick...an average auto last time I did one was in the vicinity of 2500ft a min ROD and we were light!!! Try doing an auto from low level when not ready for it or if in the latter stages of an approach, and you have yourself a very ordinary situation in which to extricate yourself.

Re the question on 5 POB, its not uncommon to respond to a scene of a primary with extra medical personnel, given the nature and number of persons involved. Quite often an extra doctor or paramedic is taken to the scene and they will accompany a road ambulance back to the hospital.

Again well done to the crew...and an exttra well done for still carrying on with the job after having a prang in the first place. That's what I call a true professional and someone with guts and a calling to a higher duty.

[Sir HC]

A big congrats to Dave Davies, did a fantastic job to get it down with no serious injuries, he is one of a handful of pilots that I would want to be with in a situation like that heaven forbid. He is also quite possibly one of the funniest blokes I've met, so I'm sure he is in rather good spirits about the whole situation. Once again, good on ya Uncle Dave!