Police Helicopter Saves Train

[Exascot]

Pilot Kathryn Chapman halts train and avert disaster at level crossing | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046246/Pilot-Kathryn-Chapman-halts-train-avert-disaster-level-crossing.html)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/10/06/article-2046246-0E44138000000578-641_634x391.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/10/06/article-2046246-0E4334C600000578-697_306x423.jpg

[Coconutty]

:D :D :D Nice one :ok:

I'm tempted to ask where that precise location falls within the NPAS 20 minute crayon circles,
and whether there would have been an aircraft overhead at all under NPAS, in the same circumstances ?

Great job though it was, our much respected and unbiased Daily Mail reporter also tells us .....

A spokesman for Northern Rail said the Sheffield to Bridlington service ‘was brought to a controlled stop as instructed by a Network Rail signal operator who was aware of the car on the track and alerted oncoming trains to it by bringing them to a standstill’.
But Chief Superintendent Colin Andrews disputed that version of events, saying it was the police action that saved the day.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/coconut11/Coconutty.jpg

[SilsoeSid]

Nice one Kathryn :D


They must have more observant train drivers up there;

She signalled to the driver to stop by swinging the aircraft round to face the train and flashing the landing lights.
Realising there was an emergency, the driver slammed on the brakes and brought the train to a halt just 30 yards from the crossing.

‘The rule book says lights being flashed directly in your field of view should be taken as an emergency stop signal.’

Or a different rule book down here ;)

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Nice one! When flying from RAF Boulmer a few years back, with the main line very close to the base, it occurred to me to think about how best to warn a train driver of an obstruction on a level crossing; all I could come up with was to deploy the winchman with a signal pistol beside the track a mile or so one side of the problem, then take the aircraft the other side of the blockage and use landing lights/smoke grenades to attract the driver's attention. Trouble was that if the aircraft was heavy, or there was even a slight headwind, the Sea King was actually slower than the express trains so time might have been extremely tight!

[HowlingMad Murdock]

Respect to the pilot - good job! Enjoyed the 'cartoon' pics too - nice!

[Thomas coupling]

As a police pilot in a previous life, we were tasked to clear the route for the royal train during its visit to Wales and with "the principal" on board.

I recce'd ahead by about 2 miles and during our return along the track back towards the train we spotted a guy walking down the track with his back to the train and about half a mile ahead.
We signalled him to get off the track but he didn't even acknowledge our existance, so I flew down towards the moving train and hovered in front of it flashing all our lights while trying to communicate via radio.
The driver couldnt have failed to see us! Yet he continued without slowing down. With about 200yds to go before hitting this guy, he calmly stepped off the track and dissappeared into some woodland.
The train never once slowed down. And we had to climb in order for the train to pass us.
We learned after that the train driver was under instructions NOT to stop for anyone without the correct password:ugh: