Helicopter crashes after pilot exits
Guest
Posts: n/a
A few years ago in Alaska, an MD500D suffered an engine failure and performed an emergency landing in a clearing, and somewhat typically, rolled onto it's side. The Australian pilot and his 3 pax walked away uninjured, in an excellent display of skill. The machine suffered pretty significant damage, but would be repairable.
Another operator was contracted to recover the wrecked machine with an A-Star, this machine was co-incidentally flown by an Australian pilot. They duly showed up, and the 500 was rigged and flown out. As the A-Star disappeared from view from the landing, a radio call came in, saying that no-one need worry about repairs, as the slung 500 had just dropped around 800 feet into the woods!
Inspection revealed that a severely corroded long line, sheathed in plastic hose, had failed. The 500 impacted a stump, inverted, and embedded itself about 2 feet through the stump and into the ground. Fortunately it landed near a road, and after much sawing and tugging with a truck was extricated from it's resting place! The machine was totally destroyed, with no recoverable parts!
The remaining ball of wreckage was shipped back to town, where the insurance companies engaged in a fearsome battle over the value of the aircraft following crash one v crash two.
Thus this unfortunate helicopter became the first MD500 in Alaska to be totalled twice, by 2 Oz pilots, in one day!
[This message has been edited by Cyclic Hotline (edited 14 January 2001).]
Another operator was contracted to recover the wrecked machine with an A-Star, this machine was co-incidentally flown by an Australian pilot. They duly showed up, and the 500 was rigged and flown out. As the A-Star disappeared from view from the landing, a radio call came in, saying that no-one need worry about repairs, as the slung 500 had just dropped around 800 feet into the woods!
Inspection revealed that a severely corroded long line, sheathed in plastic hose, had failed. The 500 impacted a stump, inverted, and embedded itself about 2 feet through the stump and into the ground. Fortunately it landed near a road, and after much sawing and tugging with a truck was extricated from it's resting place! The machine was totally destroyed, with no recoverable parts!
The remaining ball of wreckage was shipped back to town, where the insurance companies engaged in a fearsome battle over the value of the aircraft following crash one v crash two.
Thus this unfortunate helicopter became the first MD500 in Alaska to be totalled twice, by 2 Oz pilots, in one day!
[This message has been edited by Cyclic Hotline (edited 14 January 2001).]
Guest
Posts: n/a
A nice 500D in the bowles of the South Island, NZ. Pilot jumps out & his Swandri pocket got caught on throttle & wound her back up to flight rpm & away she goes, fully remote control only no one had the remote. Ended up in a lake thrashing itself to bits. Incedentily, this same machine had come through the deer venison/live capture relativly unscathed. Same machine is undergoing major refurb at the moment. Watch those open zippers eh!
Guest
Posts: n/a
Heres a classic......and as stupid as it gets
Accident occurred Saturday, July 01, 1989 at FRUITLAND, MD
Aircraft:BELL 47J, registration: N6760D
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
THE PLT INITIALLY LANDED AT AN AIRPORT TO OBTAIN FUEL; HOWEVER, THE PUMPS HAD BEEN CLOSED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT & FUEL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. HE DEPARTED THE ARPT & ELECTED TO LAND AT A CONVENIENCE STORE WHICH HAD FUEL PUMPS. DRG A LANDING AT NIGHT, THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE WOODEN FRAMED CANOPY STRUCTURE WHICH COVERED THE FUEL PUMPS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER & IT DESCENDED & IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT. ABOUT 1 HR AFTER THE ACDNT, THE STATE POLICE ADMINISTERED A BREATHALYZER TEST, WHICH SHOWED THE PLT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF APRX 0.13%.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident was:
POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT BY FLYING, WHILE PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL, AND HIS MISJUDGEMENT OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE HELICOPTER AND THE STRUCTURE. THE DARK NIGHT AND OBJECT (STRUCTURE) WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Accident occurred Saturday, July 01, 1989 at FRUITLAND, MD
Aircraft:BELL 47J, registration: N6760D
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
THE PLT INITIALLY LANDED AT AN AIRPORT TO OBTAIN FUEL; HOWEVER, THE PUMPS HAD BEEN CLOSED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT & FUEL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. HE DEPARTED THE ARPT & ELECTED TO LAND AT A CONVENIENCE STORE WHICH HAD FUEL PUMPS. DRG A LANDING AT NIGHT, THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE WOODEN FRAMED CANOPY STRUCTURE WHICH COVERED THE FUEL PUMPS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER & IT DESCENDED & IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT. ABOUT 1 HR AFTER THE ACDNT, THE STATE POLICE ADMINISTERED A BREATHALYZER TEST, WHICH SHOWED THE PLT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF APRX 0.13%.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident was:
POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT BY FLYING, WHILE PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL, AND HIS MISJUDGEMENT OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE HELICOPTER AND THE STRUCTURE. THE DARK NIGHT AND OBJECT (STRUCTURE) WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
