Helicopter burnt out at Barton

[Sir George Cayley]

I'm sorry to report that a helicopter burst into flames last night (Friday) at Barton Aerodrome nr Manchester.

Although the local brigade attended initial reports indicate a total loss with BBC1 ceefax infering that the cause of the fire was "suspicious"

I'll be there tomorrow as usual and will attempt to bring you more info tomorrow night. (Without prejudice to any investigations)
The only good news so far is that there were no reports of injury to any crew or firefighters.

BTW the only other recent helicopter fire I know of also occured at Barton a few years ago. - Strange !

Sir George Caley

The air is a navigable ocean that laps at everyone's door

[Thomas coupling]

Don't be sorry george it's not the end of the world:D

[Zeusman]

This happened after we (GMP ASU) had departed the airfield to go to a task in Cheshire. On our return we saw the fire engines in the distance and thought we had left the oven on again. Sadly it was the Enstrom. About an hour later another fire was started a short distance away in a reclaimation yard, this time only tyres and rubbish but to add a little spice they put a couple of gas cylinders on. There have been a spat of fires in the local area laterly. To reassure operators at Barton we do check the airfield at night with the thermal camera everytime we take off or land and do have a good relationship with Lancs Aero club and regularly check things for them.

[Sir George Cayley]

Had a look at the remains of the burnt out helicopter today. It was an Enstrom 280FX.

Damage consists of the cabin area forward of the bulkhead being completly consumed by the fire. One blade shows signs of deformation but the other two appear less affected. The mast is blackened up the front. It still stands on its skids and the tail section apart from smoke discolouration seems OK to my inexpert eye. Perhaps the engine, gear box and tail could be salvaged.

Lying on the grass next to the charred remains of the binnacle is a blue perspex panel about 9" x 6" thats completely unmarked. It looks like a dv panel. Could this have been pulled off prior to the fire?

Tom,
I know its not the end of all things but I feel sorry for the heartache the owner may suffer as a result of their loss.

Sir George Caley

The air is a navigable ocean which laps at everyones door

[pilotwolf]

In agreement with Sir G C...

It might not be the end of the world but it probably was someones's pride and joy.

Working in the emergency services I know how devasting it is for someone to lose a piece of their life/property.

A bit of sympathy for the owner wouldn't have gone amiss....

Shame we pprune rotorheads/fellow pilots can get hold of this scum and dish out some good old 'clip around the ear' justice.

:mad:

[Granny]

Why would any one be sorry about an Enstrom catching fire?

[Cuddles]

Is there any truth in the story that the Liverpool police chopper was torched a few years ago on the apron at LPL?

[ppheli]

In short, no. In the very early days of that operation there was an attempt at it at LPL allegedly (so the press release went) because they were being very successful at solving car thefts - some story about high speed night chases if I recall. So after the unsuccessful torch attempt (and they carried a small ding in the fuselage to prove it), various units then surrounded their pads with concrete bollards much akin to the temporary motorway barriers when they do those lovely contraflows.... I'm sure this was also part of the unit's reason to move a couple of years ago from LPL to the military base at Woodvale...

[PANews]

That was truly a few weeks ago .... December 1988!

The aircraft involved was AS355F G-BOOV and this one time leading edge UK police helicopter has just retired from police service in favour of an EC135T G-XMII. If you want 'her' she is now at Oxford with her future a matter of conjecture ... 10,000 hours of mainly police use and a firebombing later ... she is reported to be fairly 'tired'.

BOOV was exhibited at the 1988 Farnborough Show and invited to operate a trial with the Merseyside and Greater Manchester police who were having gang trouble on the roads between the two cities. The short of it is that the experiment was very successful and as a result one gang attacked BOOV on the apron at Liverpool [Speke] - now of course Liverpool John Lennon - with an axe and a fire bomb. Scars that were carried for many years afterwards.

Anyway the operation did not halt and BOOV was back chasing the 'baddies' again in a matter of hours.

Both Merseyside and GMP bought AS355Fs .... with the former choosing to go for that original aircraft. They never changed the standard registration for something snappy and apropriate [the GMP version was G-GMPA] and it would be nice to think that they would have transferred the letter to the new aircraft if they could ..... aaaaah!

The previous post was written at the same time as this so there has been some overlap.

Just to add that my understanding of the move from the airport was that pressures on the growth of the airport disuaded Merseyside from going ahead with their original plans to build there. It would have been difficult to operate as the traffic grew.

[Thomas coupling]

It's just a piece of metal - burnt out. As granny said,it is after all an enstrom probably worth about £50 scrap. As long as it's insured, who the hell cares. I found it particularly funny how Si G carefully described the remains...as if it was a murder scene:D

One of those days, sorry Sir G, can't get overexcited about it. Would you have said the same thing about coming across a burnt out Skoda? The equivalent in the car world - I think not:D :D

[md 600 driver]

thomas c
granny
just out of interest how many hours have you had on the enstrom to back up your comments

ive never flown a 135 but speaking to a ex owner that disposed of his after 15 hours said they are rubbish

he only had 15 hrs

steve

[pilotwolf]

Well if anyone out there has an unwanted 'Flying Skoda' I and I m sure plenty of others will take it off your hands!

Yes it may be insured but perhaps someone is losing business without it - that isn't usually covered. Nor are the hours of care and attention that its owner may have lavished on it. Or the hours that may have been spent working overtime or scrimping and saving to buy it in the first place...

[CRAN]

Is it me or is some-one taking the michael?

EC135T G-XMII.....

Note the registration

X Million pounds!

.................made me laugh anyway!

CRAN

[MightyGem]

XMII is the Police radio callsign. It would have been nice to have kept BOOV, but never mind:cool:

[The Nr Fairy]

In Roman numerals, XMII is nine hundred and two.

[ppheli]

XMII = police frequency callsign "Xray Mike One One".

If XMII in Roman numerals was 902 it would be most amusing! However, I make it 992 (M = 1000, X on the left = subtract 10, II on the right = add 2)

[GLSNightPilot]

Nope, wrong again. XCII is 92. Thanks for playing. You obviously aren't Roman. :D

[Flight Safety]

Actually, XMII would be invalid in the Roman numeral system, as only a "C" preceeding the "M" would be allowed to reduce the "10s" place of "M" (1000) to a "9" (900). So CMII would be 902. CMXCII would be 992.

[ppheli]

Go careful on MD600 Driver - he had a series of Enstroms (28s and 480s) before progressing to the MD! But then he must have had a reason to replace the Enstroms when he bought an MD....

[Thomas coupling]

:D

[Jed A1]

Hey Thomas, what type of helicopter do you own??

I'm sure you'd be pretty upset to find the car of your dreams burnt out, only a month after buying it (as with this helicopter)! Oh and does your car cost over GBP100K???

;)

Lada and Skoda of the helicopter world! Get real. Look at Rotorway's, CH6's, H300's or R22's first.

[md 600 driver]

thomas what type of heli do you own or what sort of helicopter have you owned

i have owned a enstrom f28a ,f28c,f28f,f280fx and 2 480 ts ,md600, hiller 12c ,and [i did own a robbie 44 but it was a px for a 480 and i did not fly it just moved it on ]

i have found the enstrom to be a marvelous helicopter and i enjoyed every i flew it them it does however pis**s me off when people bad mouth a helicopter they have never flown or owned

i constantly get told enstroms have a problem with tail rotors ,starter motors ,ect i must have been exeptionally fortunate never to have any of these problems but when i ask what one did you have all i get is i didnt actually own one i was told by a friend so i normally say which one did he have and the answer is normally he did not have one either

the enstrom range of helicopters is by no means a lada of helicopters the whole range is a very safe [no deaths in the uk ever in one ] pretty good on costs to run ,quite fast,possibly the best looking of any piston helicopter .

pp heli
i traded in my enstrom turbine for the 600 as i wanted something that went a lot faster and safer without a tail rotor and its more quieter

now i have only the 600 for getting around the country for work and the hiller for slow fun.

sorry to rant on and i know i cant spell

steve atherton

[Thomas coupling]

If someone could translate 600's last post...I'd be only too happy to respond:)

[SASless]

Say "Good Night!" Thomas.

[StevieTerrier]

TC - you seem all too gleeful regarding the demise of this poor Enstrom. Just to avoid any misunderstandings, would you like to tell us your whereabouts on the day in question.....?;)

[Thomas coupling]

Steve terrier: where the hell have you been..long time no post :)

I cannot answer your question milord on the grounds it might indoctrinate me:D

Wish I had been there though I would have been the first to rush over there in my emergency services helicopter......
and fanned the blaze:D :D :D

SaSless: spoilsport..........