View Full Version : Forced landing. Florida 20th April
Memetic
28th Apr 2017, 18:47
The BBC are reporting a British Family's experience of a forced landing on a tourist flight in Florida.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-39746654
I'm not qualified to comment but figured it maybe if interest.
wallism
28th Apr 2017, 20:08
On reading the headline I thought "good work getting it down after losing the tail" given the C of G problem but from the photo it looks like it got chopped off during the landing. Nevertheless a good outcome for all involved.
rudestuff
28th Apr 2017, 20:11
I'd be happy with that. Looks like he bounced the tail into the rotor but so what? Easy to get it perfect when you're expecting it.
Thomas coupling
28th Apr 2017, 20:49
Glad they are safe, even 'gladder' another Robbo has bitten the dust!:D:D
Max Contingency
29th Apr 2017, 11:07
One less egg whisk masquerading as a helicopter. Probably overweight due to the the 4 gold bars and the wings on his shirt :hmm:
gulliBell
29th Apr 2017, 13:42
Glad they are safe, even 'gladder' another Robbo has bitten the dust!:D:D
Yes. And not enough dust was bitten to write that one off, it looks economically repairable.
rudestuff
29th Apr 2017, 13:46
Perhaps the pilot was 'dripping with sweat' because he had the doors on. In Orlando.
500 Fan
29th Apr 2017, 15:47
A new tailboom and she is good to go.
Two's in
29th Apr 2017, 21:49
One less egg whisk masquerading as a helicopter. Probably overweight due to the the 4 gold bars and the wings on his shirt :hmm:
Personally, I would have thought that getting it down remarkably intact on one of the few pieces of clear real estate in that area more than qualifies him for his aviation accoutrements.
Paul Cantrell
5th May 2017, 22:44
Two's in says:
Personally, I would have thought that getting it down remarkably intact on one of the few pieces of clear real estate in that area more than qualifies him for his aviation accoutrements.
Totally agree, and wouldn't dare say I would have done better, because then karma will be hunting for me! That said...
I find a lot of pilots tend to pull back on the cyclic during the slide. I had to conduct a 709 checkride for an Enstrom pilot (CFI) who had an engine failure immediately after takeoff and chopped off the boom. Sure enough, when we would do touchdowns he would try to move the cyclic back (Enstroms, having oleos, are worse because the nose tends to tuck during the slide - it's a very uncomfortable attitude).
Even in an R44 which if flared like a high inertia machine can touch down at minimal ground speed even in calm air, I find people tend to (unconsciously?) try to use aft cyclic to minimize the slide. I try to stress with students that they can move the stick left and right all they want, but once they feel the skids touch, fore/aft is verboten.
I've also become aware that some schools teach their students to rapidly lower collective during the slide, and I know Bell recommends you not leave the collective up during the slide, but I'm reluctant to slam the collective down - I'd rather the blades stay coned until the aircraft stops bouncing around (and I'm worried about digging the skids in if I bottom the collective too quickly). I know I'll get some people telling me I'm wrong to not immediately lower collective once you touch down. :=
In any case, he got it down and didn't tip over, so I agree that he earned his pay that day.
nigelh
5th May 2017, 23:28
I'm definitely with you on that . I would always bleed every drop of lift from those blades to reduce the braking .....unless of course you are heading towards an obstacle !
I've also become aware that some schools teach their students to rapidly lower collective during the slide, and I know Bell recommends you not leave the collective up during the slide, but I'm reluctant to slam the collective down - I'd rather the blades stay coned until the aircraft stops bouncing around (and I'm worried about digging the skids in if I bottom the collective too quickly). I know I'll get some people telling me I'm wrong to not immediately lower collective once you touch down.
Just back from B407 recurrent at Bell, and yes, they wanted the collective down promptly. This may minimize ground slide on their not common fine grained asphalt surface, but may introduce other complications on less benign surfaces. Most of the other training I have had has emphasized an "appropriate" rate for lowering the collective, but never slamming it down. Seems that various factors should be taken into account, including type of surface, ground speed, obstacles, etc.
Probably overweight due to the the 4 gold bars and the wings on his shirt :hmm:
Jealous much?
He holds a Commercial certificate, works as a pilot, is the only pilot on board therefore entitled to wear the uniform and bars.
Company requirement anyways.
*rolleyes*
Flying Binghi
6th May 2017, 01:28
...Probably overweight due to the the 4 gold bars.....
I'm told yer get a gold bar after surviving "X" number of missions in them robinson flimsy copters..;)
.
SASless
6th May 2017, 02:07
The Helicopter is a reusable shipping container to be used to protect the contents.
I would suggest the Captain did an excellent job in this.
He, the other occupants, and the helicopter are all upright and mobile....well so long as a small crane and a wrecker are available for the helicopter.
Well Done that Man!
As to being all sweaty....who would not be if riding around in a Robby giving Tours all day long in Orlando?
The Helicopter is a reusable shipping container to be used to protect the contents.
I think of the helo as a disposable shipping container. As an internationally famous poster here once (maybe more than once) said: ass - tin - ticket!
SASless
6th May 2017, 02:54
Whoever started that was a student of Gann no doubt....and "Reusable"....connotes multiple uses but at some point becomes no longer fit for further service.
Even in an R44 which if flared like a high inertia machine can touch down at minimal ground speed even in calm air, I find people tend to (unconsciously?) try to use aft cyclic to minimize the slide. I try to stress with students that they can move the stick left and right all they want, but once they feel the skids touch, fore/aft is verboten.
I've also become aware that some schools teach their students to rapidly lower collective during the slide, and I know Bell recommends you not leave the collective up during the slide, but I'm reluctant to slam the collective down - I'd rather the blades stay coned until the aircraft stops bouncing around (and I'm worried about digging the skids in if I bottom the collective too quickly). I know I'll get some people telling me I'm wrong to not immediately lower collective once you touch down. with you 100% on that Paul, we had to get student QHIs to a level where we could send them off 'solo' for a mutal EOLs sortie on the CFS course and many of them hadn't flown the Gazelle since basic training. Using aft cyclic during the run on was a great way to smack the tail in (thank goodness for the frangible fairing) and dumping the collective was an equally good way of burying the nose (ripping the pitot off in the process).