Landed too close to car park barrier

[helihub]

German EC135P2 of ADAC today landed too close to a car park barrier in Berlin when picking up a patient - downwash seems to have caused the barrier to rise up into the rotor disc.

see report here (http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=de&tl=en&u=http://www.morgenpost.de/berlin-aktuell/article1499188/Christoph-31-im-Einsatz-beschaedigt.html)



http://www.morgenpost.de/multimedia/archive/00842/Hub02_BM_Berlin_Mit_842842b.jpg

http://www.morgenpost.de/multimedia/archive/00842/Hub03_BM_Berlin_Mit_842843b.jpg

http://www.morgenpost.de/multimedia/archive/00842/Hub04_BM_Berlin_Mit_842844b.jpg

[Runway101]

Don't these barriers open automatically if there is a car driving out (ie. weight on the ground portion before the barrier or infrared sensor)? In the article it also says nothing about rotor downwash.

[helihub]

True, but then it doesn't say that the helicopter landed on the pressure pad (or metal detector) to make the barrier rise up like it would do for a car either! All we know is that the barrier contacted the rotor blades

[skadi]

http://cdn.fotocommunity.com/images/Luft-und-Raumfahrt/Hubschrauber/Schadensbegutachtung-a23433259.jpg

Picture of the damaged barrier:

http://cdn.fotocommunity.com/images/Luft-und-Raumfahrt/Hubschrauber/Christoph-31-Unfall-a23433216.jpg

[RVDT]

Normally doesn't take a lot of metal to make these barriers trigger to lift if it was an induction loop.

IR ones are too easy to trick.

A metal case with photographic equipment (one hand carried) was usually enough to get you out the "IN" gate.;)