Helicopter down in PNG at Kimbe
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Helicopter down in PNG at Kimbe
The 'National' newspaper is reporting a Bell 427 helicopter has ditched in the sea. Niugini Helicopters based in Kimbe said one pilot was on board and is recovering. No further details as yet
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A HELICOPTER pilot escaped with minor injuries after his Bell 427 helicopter ditched in water in the Kimbe area yesterday.
It had failed to arrive in Kimbe at 11.10am as scheduled and was reported at about 1pm that it was in the water and the pilot, the sole occupant, had been rescued, PNG Accident Investigation Commission chief commissioner Hubert Namani said.
He said a team of investigators would be sent to Kimbe this morning.
Namani said PNG Air Services Ltd had reported the accident.
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It had failed to arrive in Kimbe at 11.10am as scheduled and was reported at about 1pm that it was in the water and the pilot, the sole occupant, had been rescued, PNG Accident Investigation Commission chief commissioner Hubert Namani said.
He said a team of investigators would be sent to Kimbe this morning.
Namani said PNG Air Services Ltd had reported the accident.
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Hoskins airport had been closed by NAC for about 2 weeks due Volcanic Ash.
Mt Uluwanu is closer to Kimbe then Hoskins airport.....
Are 407s less likely to ingest Volcanic Ash??
Pure speculation.
Mt Uluwanu is closer to Kimbe then Hoskins airport.....
Are 407s less likely to ingest Volcanic Ash??
Pure speculation.
Just as likely to ingest volcanic ash as any other helicopter. But this was a B427 twin engine helicopter, and volcanic ash had nothing to do with its demise. They do know exactly what happened, and the accident investigation is as easy as it gets on this one.
The volcanic ash that has been present at Hoskins is I believe not a contributing factor. The aerodrome was closed due to residual ash from a few weeks ago. However we know from PX Fokker flights that the "Roller" engine can handle the ash. But ...
Give the investigators a day or two and I think you might be surprised as to why the accident happened.
Give the investigators a day or two and I think you might be surprised as to why the accident happened.
You don't normally see the transmission and the skids on the same side of the aircraft.
Neat little chop through the boom, there is normally a "DANGER" sign right on that spot.
Neat little chop through the boom, there is normally a "DANGER" sign right on that spot.
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I bet they don’t replace it with another 427, was it the pilot that destroyed that 407 in Kiunga a few years ago? I heard he got a rating straight after the kiunga crash. F$&k up moved up.
The 407 crash, from what I recall, the load master - who'd had somewhat dubious training it seemed - had hooked a long line to the helicopter belly hook without telling the pilot. The pilot took off without realizing he was connected to an immovable object at the other end, so when he was 150' into his take-off that is as far as he got and the whole show turned into self-destruct mode. Again, if I recall, said load master claimed he never attached the line, did a runner and was never seen again.
Did the same pilot crash both helicopters?
They'd never had a prang in their entire existence until that 407, which is remarkable for PNG, and now the 427.
It wouldn't be the first time a pilot pranged a perfectly good helicopter and was then promoted onto a twin, I can think of 2 or 3 others.
They'd never had a prang in their entire existence until that 407, which is remarkable for PNG, and now the 427.
It wouldn't be the first time a pilot pranged a perfectly good helicopter and was then promoted onto a twin, I can think of 2 or 3 others.
Apparently, according to rumour, it was the same pilot that wrapped up the company Bell 407 and prior to that allegedly a helicopter off a Tuna boat, with unfortunate outcome.
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The company web site lists the Bell 427 as "currently not available" Optimistic, but I think the damage to customer confidence is far greater.
Actually this company has a commendable safety record. They haven't had a fatal prang, or a prang that has injured anybody for that matter, and as far as I know they are the only helicopter charter operator in PNG who can claim that. Bad luck for them that the pilot did a woefully absent minded thing in this instance that wrote off a perfectly good helicopter for no reason.
The pilot was doing an in-flight maintenance check and inadvertently shut down both engines without realizing it (the engines should have been at idle during the check, not off). When he finally realized the engines had been shut down he ran out of time and altitude to do anything about it before getting wet.