Salthill Airshow accident
 

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but anyway, I was watching the news and heard that one of the helicopters operating during the salthill airshow in Galway, had a door that flew off and landed on the beach below injuring 3 people.

How on earth did this happen? Does anyone know the full story?

Accident
 

Bin covered well in Military thread

MM

Video on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NCRV0LH2n8
and here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EHIw...elated&search=

Darn, thats bad, hope they are okay!, i feel a law suit coming :rolleyes:

The IAA's preliminary report on the incident can be found here.
http://www.aaiu.ie/upload/general/9408-0.pdf

I note the report makes a suggestion that a member of the public may have tampered with the door release mechanism whilst the aircraft was in the static park. I can empathise with this.

I'll never forget the response (and the mouthfull) I got from a member of the public who'd physically removed the barriers around one of our club aircraft in the static park at an air display so that he and his (not insubstantial) entourage could take a closer look at the contents of the PA38 fuel tank!

On being politely asked to leave his response was "You should make the ******* barriers stronger mate." :ugh:

Never underestimate the power of the public to spoil your day.

Static displays can be a safety nightmare due to prying fingers.

I once took a Gazelle to a static display at Telford and was then required to fly the Mayor and entourage over their "patch". Some ****** had pulled the rear door jettison handle, reset it and said nothing. The pins were still out and the door was loose; thankfully I found it on my walkround.

Another time I heard a tapping noise from the tailboom of our static Puma; caused by a small boy who had climbed inside. From the cabin I could only see his feet; he was nearly at the intermediate gearbox! (Probably Roger, the cabin boy, escaping from the Navy :E ).

A squadron colleague had a Verey pistol and all six cartridges stolen from his Puma (resulted in a unit inquiry as it was classed as a firearm). Another had the HF cable aerial broken by someone swinging on it.

A friend on another squadron had an engine fire bottle set off by a member of the public "Well, Mate, the handle said Turn and Pull, so I did..."