Witness reports Helo on its side with Emerg. Services in attendance at Scatsta, Shetland. Any news anyone

It was being towed, rotors were not turning. All the offshore flights were on hold as weather offshore bad. Wind was not that great at the time, around 35 knots, but nasty squalls around shetland / north scotland at the moment. Just to confirm, nobody hurt and all, and the flights from Scatsta have been cancelled due to offshore weather, not because of the incident.

Thanks for that. Brother flying East Shetland basin (somewhere).

In another life as a Type Tech Pilot on 332s, I issued an edict that the machines had to have both doors open when being towed in wind speeds above 30 kts. If you didn't they were likely to fall over in the turns! Sounds as if this could have been the problem!

SIMFLY

Where did you get your facts ? Where you in Scatsta at the time ?

Pat, if it is incorrect then apologies, but that is what a few of your colleagues have told me directly, (and what their clients were told), and the purpose of my post was to quell any rumours of a non-existant major incident, and stop any press starting to exaggerate what actually happend and getting people worried (like the topic starter may have been....) As you were there do you want to shed more light?

What I know are facts are 1. The flights were on held due to winds / seas offshore 2. The actual at the time was giving around 30-35 knots 3.It was under tow without any moving parts on the helicopter 4. There were no injuries, that's the main thing!

link to bbc report:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/6102566.stm

SCATSTA - EGPM 1150z 35032G43KT 9999 VCSH SCT015 O7/01 Q1002 NOSIG

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/6102566.stm

http://www.bristowgroup.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shetland_Islands

Doh! I guess they weren't expecting the wind - there was no mention of impending gales like there were last week, although the TAF for Lossie this morning did mention 60kt gusts. Surprised the MetOffice hadn't issued a severe weather warning.

they were caught by surprise ! aircraft out for a while !
all fixed wing flights from abz to scs canx by lunch time due to the gusting wind.

I heard the the Met Office shipping forecast at 12-45 am before turning in and it said "severe gale - force 9, rising to violent storm - force 11, possibly hurricane - force 12".

I don't what actually materialised but that's the first time I've heard such a forecast for these waters.

Anyone know the long term average W/V at Shetland?

EGAC, you obviously haven't seen too many Northern North Sea winters!

Aircraft turns over but fails to start?

see also http://www.shetlandtoday.co.uk/shetl...ontentID=20592

Wx statistics are available from the Met Office website.

Log onto the secure avaition section and goto Climate Statistics.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/index.html

Through the winter there will be on average 2-3 occassions when the storms over Shetland are force 12 - you just batten down the hatches. Most things are built with these conditions in mind. Twice in the last 15 years I experienced winds just over 100 mph, first time was early 90's where the gusts in the far north of the isles were measured at 168 mph. Two birdwatchers were killed when their chalet was blown clean over a cliff.

Back on aircraft stuff - I do remember BA landing an ATP at Sumburgh on a day when they were experiencing hurricane force winds, don't know what the conditions were like when they landed but they did measure 105 mph at the airfield on the day. The wind was straight up and down the runway and I was amazed that they were even trying to land on the day.

Sorry, but the BBC news link no longer works.

Was it blown over becoz not tied down, or did it roll over during landing or T/O?

As the blades are still attatched and intact, then it would be safe to say the engines were shut down. ie Blown over whilst parked.

Any one with better pictures?

It must have been a roll-over week!!