AS350 Down on North Uist

[jimf671]

A helicopter believed to be a PDG a/c on fish farm work is reported crashed in North Uist.
The fate of the pilot is not known.

[jimf671]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44468318

[jimf671]

Reports indicate came down in a loch.

2 POB.

[212man]

The AAIB are on their way, which is never a good sign!

[jimf671]

A revised report on the BBC website now states 1 POB.

[Wizzard]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44468318

[CyclicRick]

I know someone with PDG and about that age, not a good feeling right now.

[OvertHawk]

Sadly confirmed as one death.

One of my oldest and dearest friends.

Utterly gutted.

[jivusajob]

When you find out you know the person it takes your breath away...................

Happens too often in this business

The only small consolation is that at the frenetic speed he lived his life, he's already lived 2 normal peoples lives

Godspeed my friend

[helicrazi]

Godspeed mate, very sad news.

[theblackisle]

Tragic and untimely loss of not only a colleague but an irreplaceable best mate who’ll be sorely missed. Sad time.

[Dexter-geck]

Heart-breaking news. The most irrepressible of souls. Godspeed x

[griffothefog]

What a great shame, flew with him a lot when he was just a young pup, fair winds Peanut 😩🚁🚁🚁

[KNIEVEL77]

The Pilot’s name has just been released (BBC Online).
I didn’t know him but my thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.

[industry insider]

Oh dear that is sad. I remember him flying the 365N with Bond out of ND, probably when he flew with griffo. Another really good one gone.

[fisbangwollop]

RIP Pete, always a friendly voice on "Scottish Information" frequency. Thoughts are with all the PDG crews, family and friends form us all at NATS Prestwick.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44481458

[sadgit]

RIP mate, the job is a poorer place without you.

[OvertHawk]

Pete was instrumental in my joining the industry nearly thirty years ago and we've been friends ever since, through thick and thin. I shall miss him terribly.

I shall hoist a glass (or three) tonight in his name and memory, but i'll think twice about reprising some of his other party tricks!

So long "Captain Clun-@rse" The world just became a sadder place to be.

[budgie2007]

Pete had an amazing ability to make people smile everywhere he went, a true gent. Rest in peace.

[helicrazi]

Sometimes I look around and think of how many friends and colleagues have fallen along the way. What a profession RIP

[cyclic]

RIP Pete. You made me laugh, you drove me nuts! A great character and terrible loss.

[902Jon]

RIP Pete. Our paths crossed many times over the years and careers. From joining Bond at ND’s in 87 (training in Longside with Fisher P & Trevor), to Dollar/Black Isle Helicopters to KLM at Norwich. Always great fun to be around (especially after a couple of beers).
To Peanut ��

[Arnie Madsen]

Condolences to all .... I have a question .... what do they use a helicopter for on a "fish farm" ? .... Our fish farms are enclosed and serviced by boat etc . . (ps: I know what helicopter fish spotters and Tuna spotters do on the ocean . This sounds like something else) thanks

[cats_five]

Condolences to all .... I have a question .... what do they use a helicopter for on a "fish farm" ? .... Our fish farms are enclosed and serviced by boat etc . . (ps: I know what helicopter fish spotters and Tuna spotters do on the ocean . This sounds like something else) thanks

Transporting fish cages seems to be one use:

Transportation of Fish Cages - Helirig - Case Studies (http://www.helirig.com/case-studies/transportation-fish-cages/)

But I have no idea if this is what the helicopter was doing.

[snark74]

It's common to use helicopters with slung buckets to transfer smolts from freshwater to sea sites, or freshwater lochs to well boats at sea for distribution to sea sites.

[hoveratsix]

Peter's funeral is to be held on 29 June in Moray Crematorium, Broadley, by Buckie, Moray AB56 5HQ at 1330

[Dexter-geck]

Thank you for the info; I am very sad I was unable to make it but I hear it was a great send-off for a great guy.

[OvertHawk]

AAIB report is out.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d1dbff540f0b609dec54de7/AS350B2_Ecureuil_G-PLMH_08-19.pdf

Can't believe it's been over a year... You are well remembered Pete, sorely missed and much loved.

OH

[ShyTorque]

A tragic accident which really ought not to have happened.

In my RAF time in Germany I was tasked to lift some light aluminium assault boats with a Puma, as part of an Army exercise.

I hadn't lifted this particular load before so my crewman and I dug out the relevant document, written by JATE (Joint Air Transport Establishment, then based at Brize Norton), to see if there was an officially trialled rigging scheme. The actual number of the publication escapes me, my only excuse can be that I haven't seen that document for over twenty five years (was it AP1105? LSH, CG - you can probably recall it).

There was a rigging scheme and this particular type of boat was officially classed as a "Dangerous Load", because it would fly unpredictably. It could only be flown level and ballasted, or flown as a stack of five, one boat inside the other. This stuck in my mind ever since because it was the only time I was asked to carry a boat and it was the only "Dangerous Load" I had ever come across.

[Gordy]

Tragic.

I have flown boats similar to this, and also aluminum water troughs which all like to "fly on their own" once you get them airborne. We always find a large branch of a tree with leaves and attach tit to the end of the boat or trough and it acts as a drogue and keeps the thing behaving.

[cyclic]

As an industry we are good at repeating the same accident. I’m wondering, having done a similar job, whether us pilots are the persons best placed to decide whether an unusual load should be flown or not. The AAIB report strongly reflects the influence of CRM and threat and error analysis in this kind of operation. Our focus on getting the job done, particularly in remote places, does not serve us well. No matter how many mnemonics we create, none of them will prevent an accident like this unless they are applied thoroughly as a team. I think a live RA which has multiple team inputs that results in a threat score for a load could help decision making that isn’t influenced by any emotion. If the score is anywhere near a “no carry” threshold the operation should be halted. We have enough data from these types of operations to quantify the risk.

RIP Pete.

[nigelh]

You can only make so many rules . At the end of the day it’s the pilot who will decide . Even after a successful drop you are still not safe . Take my good friend Dick Meston who had dropped off his load but still ended up with the strop in his tail rotor .... almost 23 years ago . The whole thing is dangerous if you take your eye of the ball ....

[Old Dogs]

I have hauled lots of light aluminum boats with aircraft as large as a 205/212 using both shortline and longline.

Boats, like light airplanes (ie Super Cub), can be a very dangerous loads.

Proper rigging is essential.

Here's how I do it.

Put the motor and any fuel tanks in the rear of the boat. Then place the boat in a standard cargo net with the transom in about the center of the net. Gather up the net around the boat and run a lanyard from the rings on the four corners of the net up to the bow thence up to the cargo hook. Place a sliding shackle on the lanyard and through the docking tie-ring at the bow of the boat. Pick the load up and go, obviously quite carefully at first. The lanyard sliding through bow shackle allows the net to gather properly around the boat.

I could regularly get at least 50+ knots using this method with zero stability problems.