View Full Version : S76 C+ Offshore Accident Indonesia 20JUL2021
The details surrounding Travira's S76C+ 20JUL accident are scant- "The NTSB report that Sikorsky S-76C++ PK-TVY was involved in an accident at the Soehanah jack-up Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) in the South China Sea. According to BEA the "When about to land, a loud noise was heard and the aircraft rolled to the right. The aircraft stopped at the edge of the helipad. All main rotor blades detached." No injuries were reported".
Anyone have more information? Rumours?
helihub
7th Sep 2021, 12:24
https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/asia/340462/harbour-restarts-natuna-drilling-after-chopper-accident-in-indonesia/
nowherespecial
7th Sep 2021, 15:20
A usually reliable contact of mine reports pilot error and very close to falling off the deck.
Many thanks HeliHub and Nowherespecial, one sentence from Energyvoice was notable "Sources told Petromindo that strong wind had caused equipment to fall from the helicopter and that several crew members were injured." In this instance I wonder what equipment falls off an S76 in strong winds? Gotta get that equipment bolted on better....
gulliBell
7th Sep 2021, 16:49
It seems the rotor blades fell off, that be sure to ruin your day.
I fell off the helideck quite a few times with the Travira pilots on their recurrent simulator checks. I'm very glad that didn't happen for real on this occasion.
212man
7th Sep 2021, 16:56
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1260x912/1d7a2cac_cbc4_4b43_9c38_29b045dcc712_f024b26f96109dfff2a2038 b28132a6764b06386.jpeg
It was certainly close!
Yikes. Must have been a very strong wind.
gulliBell
8th Sep 2021, 00:03
At least they are very nicely pointed into the wind. Don't think the floats would have helped much if they fell off the side and into the sea.
Nescafe
8th Sep 2021, 00:23
Don't think the floats would have helped much if they fell off the side and into the sea
It would have kept the wreckage afloat so that the investigators could confirm there were no mechanical faults. 😉
gulliBell
8th Sep 2021, 00:29
Investigators? Oh right, playing comedian for the day!
212man
8th Sep 2021, 08:46
Investigators? Oh right, playing comedian for the day!
Yes - the same ones who blamed the crew for automation misuse in their preliminary report into PK-FUP, thereby denying the industry the knowledge that the flight controls can disengage in flight, which might have led to the recommendations and ADs being put in place before the fatal accident in Nigeria later in the year!
gulliBell
8th Sep 2021, 13:06
I'm surprised this sort of thing (PK-helicopters flinging bits and pieces all over the place in the manner described) doesn't happen more often. Said flinging of bits and pieces happens frequently in the simulator where thankfully the magic reset button can restore normal operation. Unfortunately there is no reset button for what we see in the photo above. Probably not worth salvaging it so might as well do a proper job of it and push it over the side. It's gonna need a lot of time in the miracle room to fix that one, might as well write it off and buy a new (i.e. used) one. Used C++'s are real cheap now. Much cheaper than fixing a seriously busted one.
212man
8th Sep 2021, 13:26
I'm surprised this sort of thing (PK-helicopters flinging bits and pieces all over the place in the manner described) doesn't happen more often. Said flinging of bits and pieces happens frequently in the simulator where thankfully the magic reset button can restore normal operation. Unfortunately there is no reset button for what we see in the photo above. Probably not worth salvaging it so might as well do a proper job of it and push it over the side. It's gonna need a lot of time in the miracle room to fix that one, might as well write it off and buy a new (i.e. used) one. Used C++'s are real cheap now. Much cheaper than fixing a seriously busted one.
I was sat at the simulator IOS once watching a crew 'perform' (in more ways than one!) and thereafter recalled having had a thought. Years later I was clearing out junk in the house, and came across a note pad I had been using during that session, with a note at the top right corner circled - "note to self, never fly Garuda!"
gulliBell
8th Sep 2021, 13:47
Oh yeah. I have the same note in my note pad.
RINKER
8th Sep 2021, 14:53
Very considerate of them to leave room for the next landing.
R
212man
8th Sep 2021, 14:59
Very considerate of them to leave room for the next landing.
R
For the repair team…..
gulliBell
8th Sep 2021, 20:15
Just to be clear, that be the repair team for the helideck...
Rumour around here is dynamic rollover
gulliBell
9th Sep 2021, 07:14
Rumour around here is dynamic rollover
Things sure got dynamic when it rolled over. First time for everything, I guess. There was a C+ in Macau which rollover over, but he was parked in the hangar when that happened so much less dynamic.
Bellicose
9th Sep 2021, 08:15
Things sure got dynamic when it rolled over. First time for everything, I guess. There was a C+ in Macau which rollover over, but he was parked in the hangar when that happened so much less dynamic.
In the case of the Macau C+ the use of an unapproved cleaning agent caused a rod-end to corrode and fail. It was part of the transfer/link cross tube between the 2 main legs and from memory there was an open door that acted as a stop to prevent the aircraft from ending up on its side.
Not quite a rollover over.
gulliBell
9th Sep 2021, 08:26
Yeah, I know. The open door being the left MLG wheel well cover. Lucky it didn't happen 30 minutes earlier otherwise it would have got very dynamic indeed.
212man
9th Sep 2021, 08:46
Things sure got dynamic when it rolled over. First time for everything, I guess. There was a C+ in Macau which rollover over, but he was parked in the hangar when that happened so much less dynamic.
An operator in the GoM managed to roll one over while trying to 'ground taxi' on a helideck
gulliBell
9th Sep 2021, 09:25
I'm not sure how you can do that unless you were half asleep and had no gas, passengers or freight.
I have no insight at all to this Travira accident. To roll one over with the engine running and not go over the side or injure or kill anybody is a remarkable stroke of good luck.
megan
10th Sep 2021, 04:53
trying to 'ground taxi' on a helideckHave done that, not the roll over bit though, no other option when you suddenly find you have 40 knots up the chuff when wanting to take off.
gulliBell
10th Sep 2021, 08:44
Have done that, not the roll over bit though, no other option when you suddenly find you have 40 knots up the chuff when wanting to take off.
Maybe, with 40 knots up the chuff, and you were light, and did a vigorous right turn and got a bit of up collective with collective/yaw coupling, things might get a bit interesting. But to roll one over, you really got to try pretty hard to do that.
industry insider
11th Sep 2021, 05:42
But to roll one over, you really got to try pretty hard to do that.
I agree gulli, in my few k hours on the S-76 landing everywhere offshore and onshore including muddy fields with a semi bogged undercarriage, I never noticed a propensity for a rollover.