MD 500E police down in Hungary

[jackx123]

https://dailynewshungary.com/breaking-police-helicopter-crashes-into-lake-balaton/


​​A police helicopter crashed into Lake Balaton near Balatonszéplak on Thursday afternoon. There were no serious injuries in the accident, the communication service of the National Police Headquarters (ORFK) announced on the police’s website. As police.hu writes, an MD 500E helicopter fell into the water of the lake about 300 meters from the shore during a planned exercise of the Air Policing Service of the Standby Police. The helicopter’s two-man crew was rescued by a nearby ship, police.hu reports.​​​​​

[admikar]

Lucky for them, Balaton is quite shallow.

[Expatrick]

Recovery

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/711x470/img_20230908_110849_704b52d782f8e95d820ed1b743957b3eccd70a0b .jpg

[Flying Bull]

Hi,
there is a Video
https://wunderbarerbalaton.de/nachrichten/balaton/video-vom-absturz-des-polizeihubschraubers-in-den-balaton/

[skadi]

Hi,
there is a Video
https://wunderbarerbalaton.de/nachrichten/balaton/video-vom-absturz-des-polizeihubschraubers-in-den-balaton/

Same video as in post #1

skadi

[Black Fly]

Assuming some anti-torque malfunction, the pilot did a reasonable job maintaining attitude during the spinning descent.

[Hughes500]

must be a malfunction as he seemed to be happily in the hover for some time !

[Flying Bull]

Assuming some anti-torque malfunction, the pilot did a reasonable job maintaining attitude during the spinning descent.
Lets wait or the official report - but I might consider no technical malfunction.
Watching the video he's hovering just fine, when a slight turn starts which is followed by nosing down a little bit like wanting to fly away.
Could be hovering with tail/crosswind at the limit of the tail rotor, loosing it, when applying power to transition into forward flight.
The rotation seems also to slow down, when the helicopter starts to descend - that is reducing collective pitch.
Just my thoughts - but we will see

[Hughes500]

Lets wait or the official report - but I might consider no technical malfunction.
Watching the video he's hovering just fine, when a slight turn starts which is followed by nosing down a little bit like wanting to fly away.
Could be hovering with tail/crosswind at the limit of the tail rotor, loosing it, when applying power to transition into forward flight.
The rotation seems also to slow down, when the helicopter starts to descend - that is reducing collective pitch.
Just my thoughts - but we will see
FB seems a little odd as a 500E has plenty of tail rotor authority unless it is a 4 blade one and the pilot is used to a 2 blade one

[Flying Bull]

FB seems a little odd as a 500E has plenty of tail rotor authority unless it is a 4 blade one and the pilot is used to a 2 blade one
only, if you push the pedal far enough.
I just try to get a picture, what could have happend.
with survivors and the helicopter out of the water we will get answers

[helithree]

The tail rotor driveshaft was broken after the crash according to friends, but it could be due to water contact, not necessarily the cause of the accident.