EC 120 Rollover in Germany

[skadi]

A EC120 rolled over during T/O at an airshow in southern Germany. Pilot and PAX ok, but one spectator died after beeing hit by debris, two others injured.

Pictures of the crash:

Ein Toter bei Unglück auf dem Flugtag in Metzingen | Südwest Presse Online (http://www.swp.de/metzingen/lokales/metzingen/Ein-Toter-bei-Unglueck-auf-dem-Flugtag-in-Metzingen;art1158520,1625033)

skadi

[idle stop]

Very sad. Condolences to the family of the person killed, and wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.
There have, I believe, been 3 notifed mishaps with the EC120 involving a spot turn (one, I think, was untintentional and in gusty conditions) in the hover.
The EC120, like many helicopters, requires a fair amount of fore/aft cyclic input during the manoeuvre to retain a stable pitch attitude, and these control inputs are exacerbated by increasing surface wind speeds.
For an aircraft that hangs right skid low in the hover, the roll attitude increases noticeably with a crosswind from the right.
After the previous occcurrence, EC issued a Service/Safety Letter(?) reminding pilots that they must fly with some cyclic pitch applied at all times. I certainly find that this reduces my own tendency to overcontrol in roll in the hover...and I have fair amount of time on the type!

[Senior Pilot]

Images from the newspaper report:

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914632_m0w600h392e0t1v24248_II0A7085.jpg

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914631_m0w600h392e0t1v12663_II0A7086.jpg

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914630_m0w600h392e0t1v5734_II0A7087.jpg

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914629_m0w600h392e0t1v42070_II0A7088.jpg

[idle stop]

Splot: You omitted the earlier ones which show the sequencing: spot turn commencing and the rear right hand skid blade digging in. As the images are stills, no idea what the rate of turn was.
The photos you posted make it look like there's a down-slope towards the crowd line. More difficult to see on the earlier photos in sequence, so may be lens distortion; but if aircraft was pointing downslope when the skid balde dug in, the slope would not have been in the pilot's favour!

[Senior Pilot]

The photos you posted make it look like there's a down-slope towards the crowd line. More difficult to see on the earlier photos in sequence, so may be lens distortion; but if aircraft was pointing downslope when the skid balde dug in, the slope would not have been in the pilot's favour!

Looks like a downslope, but the photo horizon isn't level in all the images, either:

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914635_m0w600h392e0t1v26977_II0A7042.jpg

[toptobottom]

Half of the 34 images are of post-incident activities. These few are worth posting however:

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914636_m0w600h392e0t1v49786_II0A7037.jpg?version=1347211384

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914635_m0w600h392e0t1v26977_II0A7042.jpg?version=1347211368

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914634_m0w600h392e0t1v59988_II0A7068.jpg?version=1347211353

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914633_m0w600h392e0t1v63764_II0A7081.jpg?version=1347211337

http://www.swp.de/storage/scl/bildergalerie/neckar-alb/metzingen/2012/09/unglueck/914632_m0w600h392e0t1v24248_II0A7085.jpg

The images posted by Splot were clearly taken with a motor-drive; it looks as though the pilot had completed the spot turn, descended to a very low hover, then (judging by the aircraft's position in relation to the background and nose up attitude) he was crabbing and/or flying backwards into the up-slope. The r/h skid caught terra firma and over you go :eek:

A fast shutter speed was used, so it's also difficult see what the wind was doing, but those flag things in the background seem pretty calm to me...

[John R81]

My condolences to the family of the deceased, and I hope that the injured recover soon. Very sad to see any accident with injuries or fatalities.

TTB - I think your set of photos are better for understanding what may have happened. There is no suggestion of any wind strength, and the spot-turn seems to have been completed without a problem. I also think that the photos suggest sideways flight, unless we assume that the photographer ran several meters to his left to change the angle on the end of the tent in the background. Tipping the photos to level the horizon does suggest a small rearward component to the flight.

Catching a skid with sideways movement in that direction is most likely not going to end well, regardless of the make. Coincidence that there is another thread running with a Bell catching its left skid during a spirited departure. http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/243966-rotorheads-around-world-videos-47.html#post7405850



It does look like low-speed CFIT.

[skadi]

I also think that the photos suggest sideways flight, unless we assume that the photographer ran several meters to his left to change the angle on the end of the tent in the background.

If you check the alignement of the righthand lower corner of the red roof and the top right corner of the white truck parked in front, its the same on all photos. So one could assume no significant change of the position of the photographer.

skadi

[AnFI]

Judging from the frame rate in the accident sequence - the yaw rate in the pre-accident sequence is very high - if they are shot at the same intervals.

Loss of control following high yaw rate?
or
Slope illusion giving impression of greater skid/ground separation?

[hillberg]

A pilot who flys beyond his personal limits causes problems-Be safe.

[nellycopter]

What a strange comment hillberg ......

[toptobottom]

It seems to me that the frame rate during the crash sequence was at least 4-5 fps, but not so during the spot turn (he would have been doing appx. 320rpm if so!). It appears the spot turn was successfully completed when the aircraft is pointing to the left. The pilot is clearly in control at that point, but for inexplicable reasons, then descends into a very low hover, before manoeuvering backwards and striking the ground.

[John R81]

Easy to do that. On my SLR, press the button for one shot, press and hold then it is set 5x per second.

[toptobottom]

John - didn't know you had the merc as well as an EC120 :ok:

[RVDT]

If it was level ground he may have got away with it as the aircraft possibly would have kicked around and yawed.

But as the "heel spring" and the "tail bumper" both seem to grab the ground at the same time................................not pretty!

[Andy_RR]

I was at the air show and heard the crash (was walking away from the scene at the time). Turned around to see the helicopter lying on the ground and bits flying everywhere. It was a frightening noise and very sad to learn of a fatality.

Rossfeld is a very hilly grass field on top of a big hill. Most of the runway is steeply sloped onw way or the other. You certainly can't see one end of the runway from standing at the other.

It's a fantastic venue for an air show since the displays can take place at spectator eye level over the valley. I do hope this doesn't mean the end of the event.

The day was beautiful and sunny with hardly a breath or wind. Aircraft were landing in both directions at various times during the event.

Edit: I should add that this didn't appear to me to be a take off accident in a sense, because I believe this was one of the Rundfluege which were departing from and returning to the (other, not shown) far end of the field. What the helicopter was doing and why hover taxiing near where the accident took place is unclear. It would have had to taxi up and down the middle hill of the runway quite some distance to get there as far as I can figure. There might be an operational reason for this but it seemed weird and unnecessary to me

[skadi]

Video of the crash:

NLELcIJlqv0

skadi

[Paddyviking]

I think the video is self explanitory, it puts an end to any speculation !

Pv

[Nubian]

Is this another "student-pilot'' flying sightseeing at an airshow, like the Longranger in the video-thread?

By the general handling of the machine, I would not send this guy solo!!!

Both accidents involving sightseeing/demo flights, and rollovers during taxi/take-off due to poor handling of the machine.

[misterbonkers]

Low time pilots are cheap to employ.

Most have just learnt on R22s - many of whom have been taught to hover around very low (1 guy was told 2ft max!) 'in case the engine quits' - something I disagree with and always say it increases risk of clipping something whilst manoeuvring.

[hueyracer]

wtf?

Seriously-who was flying there?

[eivissa]

There is no information about scenic flights being made with this helicopter nor that the guy on the controls is a low timer.

[DonQuixote23]

It all happened awfully quick once the skid dug in :uhoh:. Scary...

[Torquetalk]

At that speed, he might have got away with it on tarmac. Hard to understand why the drift at such a low level was allowed to continue.

The CP of a company I once worked for re-positioned a 206 in a field with a high speed lateral move VERY close to the ground, with me wondering how he could judge the distance that precisely. he then set it down with a thud and said in surprise; "oh, high skids." My eyes got wider.

[Soave_Pilot]

Looks like that was his first flight... possibly last one too! :E:E

Very sad for the fatal victim though..

[MartinCh]

Geez!

When this thread started and the pics suggested that the hilly terrain caught out the pilot doing stationary pedal turns, it didn't sound so lame as the actual events, once you see the video.

Exactly the same thinking as HR. What the hell is that guy doing????
Hovering close to ground at low speeds going in direction of the nose in controlled fashion is one thing, sweeping sideways so fast so low, ehrm, :mad: it is.

People hurt and killed nearby get affected by this unwise flying. Sad.

With every accident like this, public would lose more and more trust in aviation and helicopter industry in general and I'm not the one to blame them, if they find out more. I'd like to know the experience of the pilot flying, too.

[Nubian]

Der Pilot und der Co-Pilot
copied from this: Metzingen: Ein Toter und mehrere Verletzte nach Hubschrauberabsturz - Baden-Württemberg - Stuttgarter Zeitung (http://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.metzingen-ein-toter-und-mehrere-verletzte-nach-hubschrauberabsturz.e7732814-84bc-4370-a4b9-6eb0d8943a08.html)

EC-120, multi-pilot helicopter? I guess not!

Demo flight with 2 pilots then perhaps? One studentpilot building hours with an instructor not being close enough on the controlls? Much like the Longranger video??

Evissa,
Taken from Casualties (http://www.helionline.net/templates/sites/casualties.html)
09/09/2012 D-HALX (photo (http://www.helionline.net/photogallery//////D-HALX+1278)) Eurocopter EC120B Colibri (1278)--- EC120B Colibri crashed at Roßfeld Gliderfield near Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, SW Germany, whilst offering pleasure flights at the annual flying festival.


This type of creeping along the ground is something you'll see in student pilots and low timers ALL the time, as they have been warned about the imminent engine-failure that not: MIGHT, but WILL occur ''so better be prepared for when it's going to happen to you!!''
At least they normally point the helicopter in the right direction. This is acutally lower than most!!

I am sure that there have been more roll-overs with total loss of the A/C, from this manouvering than to engine-failures in hover at 5-15 ft skid height.

[toptobottom]

Exactly as we suspected.. Judging by the snatchy lift, the inaccurate spot turn and the barely in control hover taxi, I'd say this was a very inexperienced EC120 pilot. Even a very low hour student would have been able to control a spot turn in calm conditions and taught not to be flying sideways that low to the ground. This accident and the death of an innocent spectator was the product of ignorance; somewhere there is an instructor who should called to account. :=

[renszy]

Hi,

the pilot of the crashed EC 120 is 79 years old. The helicopter was his own private machine and he was flying it for years.

Several times I saw his demonstrations at this event, which takes place every second year (I live in the city next to the airfield).
----

by the way, I'm René. It's my first post here at pprune and I only use to read in this forum (but for years). Hello @ all!

[MartinCh]

Hey Rene/Renszy, so if you got this insider info, who was the other person, described as 'co-pilot' by newspapers/media? Presume that the owner was 'Der Pilot'. Did he let the 'younger'/junior guy fly the helicopter?

So you're saying the owner was the (ehrm, I know, airline term) Pilot Flying or the other person? So this 79yo chap was the PIC in the eyes of LBA/CAA?

[Arm out the window]

3' always worked for me; I suppose there's the possibility of height misjudgement due to sloping ground (maybe, just judging from the video).

So quick.

[Kowalskii]

The examiner who took most of my check rides hated it, when we were hovering to low, even in R22's. He always argued that, by trying to be prepared for the unlikely event of an engine failure in the hover, we were taking far greater risks of having a dynamic roll over or a tail strike. After several thousand hours of bush flying now, I must say, I totally agree with him. You can get pretty good at hover auto's, even from a lot higher than 3ft, if you are expecting it, but then again are you always expecting it? If that engine abruptly quits on you in a hover, you will turn at least 90° before you even know what happened. Hopefully we'll all be quick enough and make a safe hover auto, if that ever happens, but it's almost impossible to recover a dynamic roll over. The video of this tragic event is a prime example for that.
I rather hover a bit higher and stay away from air shows as an active participant.

[Ascend Charlie]

Frank Robinson said that there had never been a wreck of his machines through hovering too high. But plenty from hovering too low.

[rotorrookie]

Hubschrauber Absturz Live - YouTube

[P1DRIVER]

Frank Robinson said that there had never been a wreck of his machines through hovering too high. But plenty from hovering too low.

I think you could say that about most makes.

[renszy]

@ MartinCH:
Hubschrauberunglück: Polizei auf dem Roßfeld - Reutlinger General-Anzeiger - Region Reutlingen - Neckar + Erms (http://www.gea.de/region+reutlingen/neckar+erms/hubschrauberunglueck+polizei+auf+dem+rossfeld.2754119.htm)

in this article the 79 yeary old guy (the owner) is confirmed as the pilot (PIC), the other "younger" guy (57) as his co-pilot.

Additionally I got the same information from my guys of one of the rescue units which where in duty at the airfield during the accident (I'm the leader of one of the deployed units).

...waiting for the investigation report of the BFU (agency for aviation accident investigation)