NSW bushfire crash

[Tickle]

Thankfully the pilot is okay!

A contract helicopter for the NSW Rural Fire Service has crashed into a dam this afternoon.NSW Ambulance issued a statement that said about 4pm the water bombing aircraft, tasked to the Clyde Mountain fire, ditched into the Ben Boyd Reservoir in the Ben Boyd National Park at Edrom, in the Bega Valley Shire.

"The aircraft remains submerged however the pilot was able to free himself from the aircraft and is safely onshore," they said.

Paramedics are responding.

The chopper crashed with 800L of fuel and 20L of oil.

It's believed to have been fighting the 156,000 hectare out-of-control Border Fire near Eden on the far NSW South Coast.

[John Eacott]

Apparently Lucy, from Fleet Helicopters :(

Now, who was bemoaning the requirement to be current for HUET and to wear a lifejacket?


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x720/58382707_2211866282261656_8944279358244126720_n_c0539f2f6179 3d0ef45b54055d2eec01f4ae5ee5.jpg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x960/81517932_1043109742688878_6661072888264654848_n_ef71c5ef5274 ec86bada827a4276ff5ff22cb243.jpg

Aerial image courtesy of Sam Wilson :ok:

Crash occurred at Ben Boyd Dam near Eden.

[MJA Chaser]

Operating as HT205

[catseye]

for those that know him believe mr tomato head was in the front. Damp but survived.

[[email protected]]

Engine failure?

[Dangly Bits]

Mr Tomato Head! 🤣🤣🤣

[John Eacott]

for those that know him believe mr tomato head was in the front. Damp but survived.

I'd never noticed :p


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_9121_d693ef8f3bc310fa871df1d03d3818813a05f02b.jpg
Get well and back in the air soon :ok:

[Ascend Charlie]

You ain't in Reno any more, Toto!

[RickNRoll]

Thankfully the pilot is okay!
Does this affect their drinking water?

[SASless]

Yes.....Beer is preferred after a long day flying and an unscheduled water landing in a non-float equipped aircraft!:ok:

[megan]

Does this affect their drinking waterIs a worry.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/australian-bushfires-helicopter-crashes-into-dam-fighting-fires-near-bega-nsw/8cc8e1a3-7b58-42df-8ad7-7f3b536f5f25

[Ascend Charlie]

Come on, Lachie used to have a bath every week, even if he didn't need it. No need to be rude.

[Robbo Jock]

Would 800l of fuel and 20l of oil (if it all escapes), when spread over several square miles of surface or mixed into millions/billions of litres of water, really cause a problem?

[SnowFella]

Sounds like Lucy is back on dry ground again with a little bit of help from the ADF.

[John Eacott]

Sounds like Lucy is back on dry ground again with a little bit of help from the ADF.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x726/83403525_10207081118103618_8579489042557566976_o_8d48d3c5d1c 079b72f369baf34c30c7f17206b28.jpg

Lucy looks remarkably intact; and Lachie is also in fine fettle apart from being 'a little bashed up' :ok:

[Ascend Charlie]

Usually in a water landing, one of the blades will dig in and tear the Xmsn out of the mounts. Lucky Lachie!

[havick]

Is there any suggestion as to the reason behind the crash yet?

mechanical, handling, environment or a combination of all?

[John Eacott]

More images from the recovery.

All photos by SGT Bill Solomou
© Commonwealth of Australia


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1800x1200/82815049_3226301034051241_4486883563114856448_o_ccdec766eca2 4de402122be360af42e3b5b987b6.jpg


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1800x1200/83406514_3226301044051240_3550636149204582400_o_9ed62ddaaa64 2ef474eef07d85ae02da216e6ace.jpg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1800x1200/81929147_3226301090717902_6960105979044167680_o_26a843128835 7efb03ac4b107cc3842cb28bd11e.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1800x1200/82157775_3226301174051227_3256409603570663424_o_f0b50d166b79 13fc37fb2168cd1a610f037106df.jpg

[Lantern10]

Does this affect their drinking water?


Would you drink it if they told you it was OK?

[gulliBell]

I'm curious how they flipped it from upside down under water to right side up on land. Despite looking relatively unscathed I'm guessing it won't fly again any time soon.

[SRFred]

Would you drink it if they told you it was OK?

We are actually being warned that our rainwater tank water is contaminated from the fire smoke and ash and probably not suitable for drinking. Given the water from the dam will be treated even with possible fuel contamination it might be safer! Go figure!

[Autonomous Collectiv]

I expect they used the airbags affixed to the head and TRGB to flip it over, that'd be my guess anyway

[rattman]

I'm curious how they flipped it from upside down under water to right side up on land. Despite looking relatively unscathed I'm guessing it won't fly again any time soon.

If you look at the crash photos theres reed, so guess it crashed over in the background of photo 2, while bringing it to the ramp the water got deep enough that lift bags on the main rotor would flip it and they hauled it up the ramp

Just a stab in the dark

[skadi]

On Facebook is a video of the recovery posted by Royal Australian Navy


facebook.com/RoyalAustralianNavy/videos/575378999690531/

skadi

[richardthethird]

What a shame... Wonder if it will fly again?

[John Eacott]

Interesting recovery, but BZ to have achieved it in such a short space of time :ok:

https://youtu.be/bxvQgG_z8ds

[skadi]

Interesting recovery, but BZ to have achieved it in such a short space of time :ok:

:ok: Thanks John! Thats the FB video I mentioned in my post, but to embed the link didn't work.

skadi

[megan]

Would you drink it if they told you it was OK?I don't see why not, spent 23 years drinking water from a tank that had kerosene floating on top (to stop the mossies breeding). There are rather strict conditions applying to public reservoirs, recreational boating is not permitted with inboard or outboard engines due possible contamination, only electric, oars or other manual means are permitted.

[rrekn]

Very lucky that the blades were unscathed, given that it was a fresh water immersion, I'd say that she may well fly again.

[gulliBell]

I'd be surprised if blades that had been immersed in water would fly again. Water is bound to have got in under the skins, and then the blades would be different weights, and when you start flying them water might escape from each blade at different rates, etc. It would be an ongoing maintenance nightmare. As for the rest of it, assuming the blades were turning at or near flight RRPM, when it hit the water something must have been bent or broken.

[nigelh]

Water is bound to have got in under the skins,

really ?? So you don’t think heavy rain hitting them @ 400mph might get water inside ? I also think the water would just evaporate if kept in a warm place !! I think hitting the water is probably more harmful!!

[ApolloHeli]

Water is bound to have got in under the skins,

really ?? So you don’t think heavy rain hitting them @ 400mph might get water inside ? I also think the water would just evaporate if kept in a warm place !! I think hitting the water is probably more harmful!!

I don't think your reasoning regarding wet weather flying works here - a car will keep you plenty dry in a torrential downpour going 120kmh down the motorway but drive it slowly into a lake and you'll realise it isn't as "waterproof" as you'd think.

As for the heat-drying you mention; given how precisely designed helicopter rotor blades are, and the structural stresses they need to withstand, I have my doubts that the blades will be considered airworthy even if they manage to get them dried and re-balanced after this.

[RVDT]

Jayzus! Glad you blokes don’t fix them.

It will be under “sudden stoppage” or similar in the AMM.

[gulliBell]

Yeah, that too....

[gulliBell]

Water is bound to have got in under the skins,
really ??

I've had water get in 212 blades just being parked out in the rain. Don't recall it happening due to flying in rain....anyway, they're probably stuffed from the sudden stoppage.

[GrayHorizonsHeli]

that would be the first Bell I have seen that the whole rotor system didn't depart after a sudden stoppage

from my maintenance experience standpoint...there's alot of garbage parts on that aircraft. Blades in my opinion fit that group regardless of their appearance at the moment.
yet there's a goldmine in parts remaining that will see air time again in the future.

[Cedrik]

Looking at the hull alone it would be total loss