Helicopter Crash?

[supapuma]

Can anyone shed any light on the rumour of a helicopter crash at Biggin Hill outside hangar 500 this morning.

If true, best wishes to all concerned and hope that there are no serious injuries.

[VeeAny]

I used to teach there (at the airfield), so I hope its none of my ex students, and regardless I hope WHOEVER it is, is not seriously injured. They did however apparently leave in an ambulance.

I know a couple of people who saw it and they described it has having lifted to the hover erratically, bounced off the ground spun round and hit its tail rotor on the apron, ended up with right skid broken.

Some of them went to assist and report bits of tail rotor having come through the cabin injuring the pilot in the back, enough to draw blood, although he did walk away.

The wreckage was back in the hangar within 20 minutes and what the guys I know can't work out is how come the airport fire service didn't turn up (not a criticism they are a good bunch of chaps and have turned out to me for considerably less, but did the airfield even know about the incident, as it is possible for the tower not to be able to see onto that apron at low level).

I am sure all will come out in the AAIB Report, they must have been told pretty sharpish in order to give permission for the wreckage to be moved inside that quickly.

Gary

[Flying Lawyer]

Interesting to see how much innuendo it's possible to get into a post, when you try.

:rolleyes:

[Dizzee Rascal]

The wreckage was back in the hangar within 20 minutes and what the guys I know can't work out is how come the airport fire service didn't turn up (not a criticism they are a good bunch of chaps and have turned out to me for considerably less, but did the airfield even know about the incident, as it is possible for the tower not to be able to see onto that apron at low level).
ATC found out about it this afternoon, when the AAIB rang wanting details. The aircraft had not contacted ATC before, during or after the event. Obviously the eye witnesses didn't think it was serious enough to alert ATC or the RFFS directly.

The aerodrome authority was informed after the event.

[Heliport]

Thanks for explaining Dizzee. :ok:

[topendtorque]

Interesting to see how much innuendo it's possible to get into a post, when you try


Yes!

Even for a silk, a top question, is it?

Our fraternity should be the best at innuendo,
being in front of others hanging on rails in the back,
above others who are extra dangerous to land beside;

We ferry the fairies, ply the routes?
and assume nonchalent relaxation,
when all around panic is supreme.
Of course we are the best
at the art of innuendo.

[younghack]

Hi I am from the local paper and we are doing a story on this, but having conflicting reports.

I was wondering whether anyone was able to help us clear up what happened

My address is:
[email protected]

Many thanks

[Makiwa]

:yuk: Bwah, ha, ha, ha!!! :=

[manfromuncle]

I can't see anyone here talking to the press, given every helicopter crash press story is usually sensationalist and gets the facts wrong ("8 on board in R22 fire-ball terror as carb-heat is forgotten" etc)

Why don't you contact the flying school direct?

[Hughesy]

Flip, the Press was pretty quick to post on here about this one.

Or how about the usual "ASTAR helicopter ( photo of a 212) crashes causing mayhem, witness say "propellor.......................blah blah and they thought the pilot was flying.........blah blah.... " :rolleyes:

sigh!

How about you guys get ALL the facts before you print a story to just sell your newspapers. And while your there, get the right photo!! Wombles!!! :mad:

Hughesy

[500e]

Wombles Ever done you any harm.

[choppertop]

Given the amount of prurient, sensationalist, inaccurate and speculative comment about helicopter crashes on this website, I'd say that many posters here have more than missed their vocations as red top hacks. (I speak as a former journalist). Ease off on younghack, chaps. He's just doing his job. :DAnd to those who will carp about the conduct of the press, I presume you would never access the media for your own information or interest...? That would be a shocking hypocrisy, would it not. := Chops.

[The Nr Fairy]

"younghack" appears to work for Archant.

Rather than risking ridicule here, how about checking if his employer produces any aviation-related material ? Hint - check http://www.archant.co.uk/business_specialist.aspx

[windowseatplease]

I think it's for the local paper, as he said. Probably the Sevenoaks Times, or something like that.

[choppertop]

And forgive me if I am misreporting but it seemed he was asking for help from helicopter insiders to ... er ... get to the facts.

[AlanM]

He did at least come clean! :D

(up to an individual to risk being misquoted etc!)

[Heliport]

choppertop Given the amount of prurient, sensationalist, inaccurate and speculative comment about helicopter crashes on this website, I'd say that many posters here have more than missed their vocations as red top hacks. I doubt if anyone would deny there's some truth in that, but the "many posters" are a small percentage of the number who post here.

Caution, irritation and downright anger amongst pilots about journalists is because we're fed up of the press consistently making 'shock horror' stories out of the most minor incident or non-event, even when they are told the true facts. And even when, occasionally, the report itself is sensible, the subs or whoever add an 'eye-catching' headine intended to make the incident appear dramatic and life-threatening.


younghack
You've read what we've been told.
Incident outside a hangar - not a helicopter flying along.
Pilot may have been taken to hospital for a check-up.
That seems to be it.
If it's worth reporting at all, doesn't seem worth more than a paragraph even in a local paper.

....... but having conflicting reports.
Conflicting reports are normal. If 4 people see an incident, not just in aviation, you'll get at least 5 five conflicting reports.
Sometimes it's honest mistake. Sometimes people like to pretend they saw more than they actually did. And, just occasionally, people have their own ulterior motives for making things seem worse than they were.

Be very cautious if you receive an email or PM from anyone claiming they only want to 'help' by giving you their version of the facts.

[choppertop]

"... we're fed up of the press consistently making 'shock horror' stories out of the most minor incident or non-event..."

Tush and pish! Why would the press need to do that? The public just need to have a glance at the average daily offering on here. It's a litany of crash reports, picked over in minute, salacious detail.

The press have a job to do. Journalists can't be experts in every field. You buy the papers, you perpetuate the 'problem'. You forget the vitally important reporting of floods and famines, of wars and insurrections, the exposes of financial and political wrongdoing, the uncovering of child neglect and medical malpractice -- to name the merest few.

Helicopter pilots can get on people's tits too. Ask your airfield's neighbours!

[MrNosy2]

What type of heli was it? R22?

[ChrisGr31]

Is their an obligation to report accidents to the airport and indeed the AAIB? The implication in the posts above appear to be there is to report to at least one of those, and that that report never happened. It may be the way I am reading the posts.

But that may cause the conflicting reports.

[younghack]

I know that the AAIB is looking at it.

[Heliport]

The implication in the posts above appear to be .............. It may be the way I am reading the posts.


There are snide implications in one post, by VeeAny.
People will form their own opinions about his motive - if they consider the incident is worth thinking about at all.
On his own admission, his remarks were based entirely on second-hand information. (Which may or may not be accurate.)

Looking back, I probably should have deleted them but, as regulars know, I dislike intervening to edit or delete posts and prefer to rely upon members acting responsibly and moderating themselves. My experience has been that method works 99% of the time.

I can't see any benefit either to this forum or to the helicopter industry in allowing this thread to continue.
If anyone has any facts they are desperately keen to add and they fall into either of those two categories, feel free to email or PM me.


younghack I know that the AAIB is looking at it.
Good for you.

If they consider it's worth investigating (at the different levels open to them), they'll publish in due course what they think happened.



Heliport