Merlin crash
 

BBC

Helicopter crashes at navy base

A helicopter has crashed at a Royal Navy base in Cornwall

The crash happened near the station's control tower
A helicopter has crashed at a Royal Navy base in Cornwall.
The incident happened at RNAS Culdrose, near Helston, on Tuesday afternoon. A Merlin helicopter crashed near the control tower.

It is not known how many people have been injured. Ambulances and two fire engines have been sent to the base.

Navy paramedics are at the scene and the main road to the Lizard has been closed at Helston.

More soon...

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Hope everyone's OK.....

Just heard all the crew got out okay.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3583409.stm
Helicopter crashes at navy base

The crash happened near the base's control tower
A helicopter has crashed at a Royal Navy base in Cornwall.
The incident happened at RNAS Culdrose, near Helston, at about 1500 BST on Tuesday when a Merlin helicopter hit the ground near the control tower.

One man was trapped in the aircraft and flown to hospital. Four other people were slightly hurt in the incident.

The £60m anti-submarine aircraft, which is thought to belong to 824 Squadron, had just taken off on a training flight.

Road closed

Two civilian fire engines were sent to the base but were not required. Civilian ambulances were also called to assist navy paramedics.

The main road from Helston to the Lizard has been closed as a precaution.

The Merlin, which was first introduced in 1997, normally carries a crew of three comprising a pilot, observer and aircrewman.

The 22.8 metre-long aircraft has a rotor diameter of 18.6 metres, weighs 14,600 kilograms and has an anticipated service life 35 to 40 years.

RNAS Culdrose is responsible for training helicopter pilots, observers and aircrewmen in search and rescue, weather forecasting and aircraft handling.

Glad everyone is safe.

But £60 million each..........:eek:

£60 Million, that will be £20 million for the Merlin and £10 million for Westlands to say it can be flown by the RN and £30 Million for the onboard Pies.


Glad everyone is safe, and best wishes for a full and speedy return to fitness and flying.

When I was on 700M squadron the right-off cost for RN24 was £39.5m or so the C126 form from the Supply (or is that logistics) people said. £1.5m for a Hawk though!

Obviously a bit of cost inflation going on by the BBC.

Either that or the fine PRO at Culdrose has succeeded in blowing it yet again.

I feel sorry for the lads who will be walking around the airfield for 3 weeks picking up MMMF fibres (very carefully). Obviously the cab rolled over.

Best wishes to the crew
 

Good to see they all survived, best wishes to them all. Here's wishing them a speedy return to flying.

Little bird tells me it threww a tail rotor blade on short finals:eek:

Not a good day for the Mighty Merlin
 

Appears to be rather a mess in the BBC picture - do we know if the aircraft rolled when it met with the ground?

Glad all concerned lived to tell the tell - indicates the strength of the airframe.

Best to let the boys from VL do their job before we all try and guess the cause although T/R failure does seem on everyone's lips - another Italian design!

Let's hope we see the Mighty Merlin flying soon!!

Glad to hear that everyone's safe.

Ditto the above sentiments.

Merlin Crash
 

ZH 844, a/c didn't roll on impact due to low hover height, as he was awaiting departure clearance. Very big relief to see the guys got out eventually, and a speedy recovery to those taken to Treliske. Thoughts are with families of all, and had a couple of light beverages in honour of the crews, Good work fellas :o )

Sod the cost, boys got out, can always buy another.

240 and below - I am told that a member of the crew had to be cut out - do you know which crew member?

At least this example had a EAS installed so that will give some data to aid the investigation.

:ugh:

ZH844 - RHS pilot had to be cut out. That pilot is "recovering" according to this mornings local news.

The three backseaters got out v quick, and were in the bar by 1700.

Glad to see the guys were OK

RF

Can anyone PM me with names if known?

Cheers

Rod Flow
What took them so long? In Cyprus the Lightning jock was standing in the bar, in a puddle of water, blanket over his shoulders and about 200 aircrew hanging on every word.

Not out of interest per ce but to ensure they could not be on the BOI. Then the Docs got him and whisked him off to hospital.

PN

We are talking RN hospitality here. The bar wasn't open til then!

RF

In the hover the half hub broke, separating one tail rotor blade, completely, quickly followed by two others, the aircraft did a 180 and crashed. The pilot went to shut down the engines, but realised it was a waste of time as they were in front of him!
Non-handler being patched up in hospital, the instrument panel banged up his leg, and the mission panel took out his shoulder.:ouch: Ground crew and rear crew very lucky to escape uninjured.
Was it the mayor of Nagasaki who said, "What the F*** was that?"

Interesting isn't it.

Quite a lot of money each.

One in the Sound of Raasay, one at Culdrose.

Some early aircraft, excluding the PP a/c, will never actually be mission capable.

Contract cost? Contract value? Not the same thing methinks...