How Not To Learn How To Fly A Helicopter!
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How Not To Learn How To Fly A Helicopter!
From another thread:
NTSB Identification: LAX87LA190 .
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 35617.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, April 26, 1987 in RUBIDOUX, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/17/1989
Aircraft: HUGHES 269B, registration: N101DN
Injuries: 1 Minor.
A HUGHES 269B WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING A T/O TO A HOVER. THE PILOT HAD PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY AND WAS LEARNING TO FLY IT. HE WAS SCHEDULED FOR HIS FIRST FLIGHT LESSON ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CFI REPORTED THAT HE HAD TOLD THE STUDENT PILOT TO WAIT FOR HIM AND NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING. WHILE WAITING FOR THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE NON ROTORCRAFT RATED STUDENT PILOT STARTED THE AIRCRAFT, RAN IT UP TO FULL RPM, AND THEN BEGAN TO INCREASE THE COLLECTIVE PITCH CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER CLIMBED VERTICALLY TO A HIGH HOVER AND THE PILOT LOST CONTROL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT RELEASED THE CYCLIC FRICTION BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE. THE PILOT INDICATED HE HAD ABOUT500 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME BUT DID NOT SPECIFY THE TYPE AND NO SUBSTANTIATION OF THE TIME COULD BE MADE.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL..NOT MAINTAINED..DUAL STUDENT
JUDGMENT..POOR..DUAL STUDENT
VERTICAL TAKEOFF..UNCONTROLLED..DUAL STUDENT
INSTRUCTIONS,WRITTEN/VERBAL..DISREGARDED..DUAL STUDENT
If anyone is interested the footage of the hughes 300 crash was taken in the mid eighties. California, USA.
The pilot (Clive Hogg) was an experienced fixed wing pilot who had like so many of us (myself included) seen the light and decided to go rotory. The pilot had recently purchased the hughes 269c and was told by his instructor to “wait for me, I will be 10mins, dont touch anything” Well this chap could not wait and thought it would do no harm to work through the checklist eventually he’d worked right trough the checklist and got and completed to starting section and then the engaging the drive clutch which engaged the rotor blades. He even brings the engine revs up from idle to flight! Well once this done that machine is ready to fly. It is true that the H300 has a history of vibration raising the collective lever if it is left to its own devises. Well the NTSB report does include the pilot explanation to be that, sure enough, after getting this aircraft to its full ready for flight potential he was busy doing something else, (prob playing with the radios or similar) and the collective raised itself up, and away she goes.
The footage shows the classic results of a fixed wing pilot let loose on the controls of a helicopter. The pilots response to his situation is perfectly understandable.
Look at the footage again and you will see the sequence:
1, A/c gets very light on its skids as collective slides ever up wards, note its desire to yaw to the right as torque reaction increases.
2, a/c lifts off pilot grabs cyclic (joystick looking control) and pushes forwards to try and get the machine “down”, well do this to a helo and it thinks you want to ‘go fly’ which it promtly does!!
3 A/c moves forward and climbs then pilot reacts to the right turn by banking hard to the left and genrally ‘chases’ the machine around the sky.
4 Pilot finally gathers his thoughts to start using the collective (up/down lever) which has until now had free range to do its own thing. The pilot obviously dumps the collective down which immediately stops the rh spin and starts to bring the machine downwards.
5 A/c gets very close to the ground so pilot ‘flares’ his machine (as you would in a fixed wing) well this is done to late and to low.
6 A/c tail rotor strikes ground and desintigrates
7 A/c, now deprived of its anti torque rotor, spins on the spot quickly swiping off its remaining tali boom and main skids.
8 Engine still valiantly tries to drive the rotors which are now sadly floppinging scrap metal
The pilot was apparently almost completely uninjured except for a cut to his left hand. This really does prove how safe helicopters can be as long as you deliver them to the ground with a very low rate of descent and a low forward airspeed as amazingly this guy did. The results are not pretty but he does litterally walk away minus 1 servicable helicopter and a large chunck of cash.
NTSB Identification: LAX87LA190 .
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 35617.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, April 26, 1987 in RUBIDOUX, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/17/1989
Aircraft: HUGHES 269B, registration: N101DN
Injuries: 1 Minor.
A HUGHES 269B WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING A T/O TO A HOVER. THE PILOT HAD PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY AND WAS LEARNING TO FLY IT. HE WAS SCHEDULED FOR HIS FIRST FLIGHT LESSON ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CFI REPORTED THAT HE HAD TOLD THE STUDENT PILOT TO WAIT FOR HIM AND NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING. WHILE WAITING FOR THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE NON ROTORCRAFT RATED STUDENT PILOT STARTED THE AIRCRAFT, RAN IT UP TO FULL RPM, AND THEN BEGAN TO INCREASE THE COLLECTIVE PITCH CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER CLIMBED VERTICALLY TO A HIGH HOVER AND THE PILOT LOST CONTROL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT RELEASED THE CYCLIC FRICTION BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE. THE PILOT INDICATED HE HAD ABOUT500 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME BUT DID NOT SPECIFY THE TYPE AND NO SUBSTANTIATION OF THE TIME COULD BE MADE.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL..NOT MAINTAINED..DUAL STUDENT
JUDGMENT..POOR..DUAL STUDENT
VERTICAL TAKEOFF..UNCONTROLLED..DUAL STUDENT
INSTRUCTIONS,WRITTEN/VERBAL..DISREGARDED..DUAL STUDENT
If anyone is interested the footage of the hughes 300 crash was taken in the mid eighties. California, USA.
The pilot (Clive Hogg) was an experienced fixed wing pilot who had like so many of us (myself included) seen the light and decided to go rotory. The pilot had recently purchased the hughes 269c and was told by his instructor to “wait for me, I will be 10mins, dont touch anything” Well this chap could not wait and thought it would do no harm to work through the checklist eventually he’d worked right trough the checklist and got and completed to starting section and then the engaging the drive clutch which engaged the rotor blades. He even brings the engine revs up from idle to flight! Well once this done that machine is ready to fly. It is true that the H300 has a history of vibration raising the collective lever if it is left to its own devises. Well the NTSB report does include the pilot explanation to be that, sure enough, after getting this aircraft to its full ready for flight potential he was busy doing something else, (prob playing with the radios or similar) and the collective raised itself up, and away she goes.
The footage shows the classic results of a fixed wing pilot let loose on the controls of a helicopter. The pilots response to his situation is perfectly understandable.
Look at the footage again and you will see the sequence:
1, A/c gets very light on its skids as collective slides ever up wards, note its desire to yaw to the right as torque reaction increases.
2, a/c lifts off pilot grabs cyclic (joystick looking control) and pushes forwards to try and get the machine “down”, well do this to a helo and it thinks you want to ‘go fly’ which it promtly does!!
3 A/c moves forward and climbs then pilot reacts to the right turn by banking hard to the left and genrally ‘chases’ the machine around the sky.
4 Pilot finally gathers his thoughts to start using the collective (up/down lever) which has until now had free range to do its own thing. The pilot obviously dumps the collective down which immediately stops the rh spin and starts to bring the machine downwards.
5 A/c gets very close to the ground so pilot ‘flares’ his machine (as you would in a fixed wing) well this is done to late and to low.
6 A/c tail rotor strikes ground and desintigrates
7 A/c, now deprived of its anti torque rotor, spins on the spot quickly swiping off its remaining tali boom and main skids.
8 Engine still valiantly tries to drive the rotors which are now sadly floppinging scrap metal
The pilot was apparently almost completely uninjured except for a cut to his left hand. This really does prove how safe helicopters can be as long as you deliver them to the ground with a very low rate of descent and a low forward airspeed as amazingly this guy did. The results are not pretty but he does litterally walk away minus 1 servicable helicopter and a large chunck of cash.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Quote 'This really does prove how safe helicopters can be..."
Unless of course you happen to be the hapless groundie who collects a piece of detached rotor blade travelling at a few hundred MPH, which is usually the case.
Unless of course you happen to be the hapless groundie who collects a piece of detached rotor blade travelling at a few hundred MPH, which is usually the case.
My sentiments exactly - I copied and pasted that whole chunk from another thread.
There are two other helicopter video's worth watching - the french puma crash where one guy falls out and misses being hit by the wheel then the blades. All this being filmed by a guy on the ground not flinching as bits of rotor blade fly past.
The other is the helicopter crash over a city, filmed quite randomly by a news crew. Control is lost, and it smashes its way onto a rooftop and again, all survived.
There are two other helicopter video's worth watching - the french puma crash where one guy falls out and misses being hit by the wheel then the blades. All this being filmed by a guy on the ground not flinching as bits of rotor blade fly past.
The other is the helicopter crash over a city, filmed quite randomly by a news crew. Control is lost, and it smashes its way onto a rooftop and again, all survived.
