View Full Version : Chopper hits powerlines, lands, then continues work!
krypton_john
21st Dec 2008, 19:19
Outage after chopper hits power lines - New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/4800507a11.html)
High tension lines, and hit hard enough to cause blackouts. And the guy finishes up his day!
Anyone know any more about this?
Cheers
JohnO
206Fan
21st Dec 2008, 20:03
Jasuss, not every day you hear of a heli hitting the power lines and landing safely, thank god knothing bad came of it!
Whats the outrage all about, electric getting cut of is normal enough, bet there wouldn't be a word said if mother nature caused the blackouts!
anyone know what type ( its a wonder the newspaper didn't say it's a cessna).
chopjock
21st Dec 2008, 20:35
quote: Whats the outrage all about, electric getting cut of is normal enough, bet there wouldn't be a word said if mother nature caused the blackouts!
OUTAGE, not outrage.
krypton_john
21st Dec 2008, 20:48
Shirley it was an intentional malapropism?
nodrama
21st Dec 2008, 20:56
Who are you calling Shirley??
Hughesy
21st Dec 2008, 22:46
How do we not know that the machine wasn't inspected by an engineer before he departed? You how the press/vultures like to omit facts at times to make better articles.
Good to hear the pilot was ok though.
darrenphughes
21st Dec 2008, 23:48
The article looks pretty professional to me. There's no sensationalism to be noted really, which is unusual when it comes to reporters and aviation(or anything really!!). Looks like he just reported the facts that he had.
Flying Lawyer
22nd Dec 2008, 00:59
A helicopter clipped a power line and a fellow pilot wasn't killed, or even injured it seems.
It's always great to hear good news, especially at Christmas.
We can all be pleased for him. :ok:
Choppie
22nd Dec 2008, 05:38
Did he have a wire strike kit installed?
SASless
22nd Dec 2008, 10:03
This one needs to be investigated to determine what went right!
Wire strikes usually kill the aircraft and occupants thus making this one a very interesting situation.
As to taking off again after the wire strike....if it had been me....my knees would not have supported such a notion.:uhoh:
yeah i'm with sasless on this one. i'd be walking home
topendtorque
22nd Dec 2008, 11:13
I recall being told of at least three instances in Oz where this has occurred, none with wire kits.
Maybe there are others with wire kits.
In each instance the machine picked up the first wire, into the second wire, -flash - **** - wires fell away - flew on.
One involved a 206, driver, wife, baby, MIL and maybe one other all on board, and it picked up on the air intake cowl. evidence was barely a scratch on the paint work, nothing about the drivers trousers though.
The first story involved a very famous leader of things rotary, in matters H.U.P.L. years ago. I know not whether the much revered gentleman is still with us.
Perhaps Nigel Osborn could enlighten us?
Karl Bamforth
23rd Dec 2008, 00:04
Shut it down and get the engineers, that is the best advice.
Some years ago now one of our brave crews reported feeling a thud at the rear and a slight increase in vibration, they landed on, jumped out and had a quick look around the back with rotors running then feeling happy flew back to base.
When we removed the tail drive shaft covers a number of drive shaft support bearing mounts had failed, a closer inspection of the tail rotor found evidence of a heavy plastic bag (agricultural type) having passed through it.