What was your scariest moment in a helicopter?
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2001
Location: perth
Posts: 231
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
YOUR SCARIEST MOMENT IN A HELO
Ok guys and girls, lets hear em, everyone has a story, lets releive the tension around here...I had a door come off in flight, a snake get out of its container......DOH!..
and some other stuff that sucked the seat cushion up my , er, you know what.
Let the games begin
and some other stuff that sucked the seat cushion up my , er, you know what.
Let the games begin
Last edited by Heliport; 8th Aug 2003 at 03:07.
Iconoclast
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The home of Dudley Dooright-Where the lead dog is the only one that gets a change of scenery.
Posts: 2,132
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It was not a scary moment for me but from the pilots’ point of view we were ready to crash.
I was flight mechanic on a Bell HTL-1 (early model 47) and we were returning to base in Traverse City, Michigan from a stint on an Ice Breaker on Lake Superior. We had a leaky tail rotor gearbox so every fifty miles or so we would land and I would fill up the gearbox with of all things, fish oil. Very smelly stuff.
My pilot, Dave Gershowitz, who incidentally was the first helicopter pilot to hit 1000 hours, was easily freaked out.
While flying in the left seat I was holding the oil can between my legs and reading a map. We were about twenty minutes out when Dave saw a bear. He very excitedly told me to look. When I leaned over, my legs spread and the can hit the deck making a loud noise. Dave thought there was something wrong with the tail rotor gearbox and he made a quick turn looking for a spot to land. In the process of making his maneuver he really made a hard over. On that particular helicopter type when there was an excessive side load on the mast it would cause the planetary gears to really growl.
Upon hearing that, he really wanted to get on the ground. He picked out a landing spot in front of what we later found out was a veterinarians office. To get from where we were to that landing spot we had to pass over a turkey farm and in the process we made the turkeys stampede and over 100 birds were killed in the pileup at the fence surrounding the turkey farm.
Oh yes, in the process of landing, we took out the vets' telephone line
------------------
I was flight mechanic on a Bell HTL-1 (early model 47) and we were returning to base in Traverse City, Michigan from a stint on an Ice Breaker on Lake Superior. We had a leaky tail rotor gearbox so every fifty miles or so we would land and I would fill up the gearbox with of all things, fish oil. Very smelly stuff.
My pilot, Dave Gershowitz, who incidentally was the first helicopter pilot to hit 1000 hours, was easily freaked out.
While flying in the left seat I was holding the oil can between my legs and reading a map. We were about twenty minutes out when Dave saw a bear. He very excitedly told me to look. When I leaned over, my legs spread and the can hit the deck making a loud noise. Dave thought there was something wrong with the tail rotor gearbox and he made a quick turn looking for a spot to land. In the process of making his maneuver he really made a hard over. On that particular helicopter type when there was an excessive side load on the mast it would cause the planetary gears to really growl.
Upon hearing that, he really wanted to get on the ground. He picked out a landing spot in front of what we later found out was a veterinarians office. To get from where we were to that landing spot we had to pass over a turkey farm and in the process we made the turkeys stampede and over 100 birds were killed in the pileup at the fence surrounding the turkey farm.
Oh yes, in the process of landing, we took out the vets' telephone line
------------------
Taking off from a Canadian frigate in an S61 and still attached to the bear trap cable.
Wondering why she wanted to visit the captain on the bridge wing
All this at night...........Luckily the weak link failed at the right moment
How do I attach a picture from my hard drive, anyone?
[ 13 August 2001: Message edited by: Thomas coupling ]
Wondering why she wanted to visit the captain on the bridge wing
All this at night...........Luckily the weak link failed at the right moment How do I attach a picture from my hard drive, anyone?
[ 13 August 2001: Message edited by: Thomas coupling ]
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: AB, Canada
Posts: 420
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1. I had excessive smoke in the cabin and cockpit over ocean. Flight Engineer told from the back he saw sparks and flames. Smoke elimination unsuccessful and cockpit vis deteriorating so we ditched. Helicopter stayed upright, egressed to liferaft without getting wet, paddled away with our helmets. Helicopter is flying again (had a second ditching since due to engine failure in hover).
2. Slinging sandbags during flooding in Manitoba, Canada I got the right main stuck in mud and got a glimpse of what dynamic rollover would look like. Very fast.
3. Less than 100 hours helo, I was solo at night unaided. Someone else using infield so I turned my circuit to the south, away from all cultural lighting. At the same time the first lightning bolt of a thunderstorm flashed in front of me. Safe enough distance, but the flash blinded me, nothing to see outside, and I had my cockpit lights dim enough that I could see nothing inside. Hey, it may not seem so scary now, but it freaked me out at the time.
Matthew.
2. Slinging sandbags during flooding in Manitoba, Canada I got the right main stuck in mud and got a glimpse of what dynamic rollover would look like. Very fast.
3. Less than 100 hours helo, I was solo at night unaided. Someone else using infield so I turned my circuit to the south, away from all cultural lighting. At the same time the first lightning bolt of a thunderstorm flashed in front of me. Safe enough distance, but the flash blinded me, nothing to see outside, and I had my cockpit lights dim enough that I could see nothing inside. Hey, it may not seem so scary now, but it freaked me out at the time.
Matthew.
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: uk
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Half way down a standard auto in an Ah64A, had a double generator failure with associated warning lights audios etc. Just about to complete the auto to the ground when another 64 in the pattern told me I was on fire. For those of you that know (Lu), an AH64 burns real quick so you can guess i had my student(and myself) out without undue delay!!!
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Pudsey, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Age: 85
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was flying a Bell 47 Sioux with the Royal Marines in Aden in 1967. Tasked to take a photographer to a weapons find high on a jebel. Hovered over a slope near the edge of a very steep drop to check if we could land when there was a loud crack, the cyclic went loose, and we turned upside down! Can't remember getting out, but we both did, unharmed. The only thing that stopped us going over the edge was one of the main rotor blades stopped, pointing down the slope and the wreck was swaying on that! Frightened? I still have nightmares!!
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 422 Likes
on
222 Posts
We were in an AS332L over a Norwegian airfield at twilight, approaching the hover at 2500 feet.
Something, unexplained to this day, went catastrophically wrong. There was a heavy jolt and suddenly we lost all cyclic, collective and yaw control.
The rotor rpm fell to zero although both engines were providing almost full power. The aircraft fell vertically out of the sky, completely out of control. We were no longer flying but falling.
Over and over we tumbled, bunting nose down, end over end, the world spinning crazily before our eyes. The ground became a blur as it rushed towards us. We were thrown forward against our straps. The rear crew began shouting and I could hear sickening thuds as he was dashed from side to side in the cabin. The co-pilot looked across at me with a horrified look on his face as the tarmac rushed up to meet us.
I knew then we were doomed but I kept fighting, fighting the controls to the end.
Even now, night after night, it comes back to haunt me.
Something, unexplained to this day, went catastrophically wrong. There was a heavy jolt and suddenly we lost all cyclic, collective and yaw control.
The rotor rpm fell to zero although both engines were providing almost full power. The aircraft fell vertically out of the sky, completely out of control. We were no longer flying but falling.
Over and over we tumbled, bunting nose down, end over end, the world spinning crazily before our eyes. The ground became a blur as it rushed towards us. We were thrown forward against our straps. The rear crew began shouting and I could hear sickening thuds as he was dashed from side to side in the cabin. The co-pilot looked across at me with a horrified look on his face as the tarmac rushed up to meet us.
I knew then we were doomed but I kept fighting, fighting the controls to the end.
Even now, night after night, it comes back to haunt me.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 422 Likes
on
222 Posts
P.S.
Sometimes these simulators are just too darn realistic!
The company made it policy for all occupants to be securely strapped in and prohibited the use of "heavy crash" after that!! Apparently the sim floor mounting bolts were beginning to pull out of the concrete.
ShyT
Sometimes these simulators are just too darn realistic!
The company made it policy for all occupants to be securely strapped in and prohibited the use of "heavy crash" after that!! Apparently the sim floor mounting bolts were beginning to pull out of the concrete.
ShyT
Just Dropped In
Join Date: May 2001
Location: um....er.....
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tail Rotor drive shaft failure in Navy Seaking.
All too well documented Tail Rotor Control failure in the hover in a AS355F2.
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. bang!
All too well documented Tail Rotor Control failure in the hover in a AS355F2.
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. bang!
Guest
Posts: n/a
Cruising one day in the B47-KH4 in the NT of OZ. Had no door on the RH Side (as usual) and fortunately was at about 1800 agl. Not a cloud in the sky when without any prior indication the aircraft was slammed up vertically coming instantanously to a stop. The collective was driven out of my hand to full pitch, my feet came off the pedals and my knees up to my ears. Everything in the cabin floated momentarily as it swapped sides and the quacker rolled over the vertical to the RHS. Returning to the controls I naturally dumped collective and recovered the rapidly decending RRPM, unusual attitude and A/S. The VSI was in excess of 2000ft/min as we dropped sideways and the heart was maxed out. Everything was covered in dust that had once lived on the floor and passing 500 AGL I accessed that I still had cyclic and engine so tentatively added some collective and it flew out of the decent.
What happened? A local phenomenon called a Willie Willie. The yanks call it a dust devil and generally it is a mini cyclone. Typically you see a smattering of leaves to indicate that you are approaching one but not on this occaision.
I packed myself but you should've seen the colour of the surveyor face who was sitting beside the open door. Thank God his belt was done up tight....
What happened? A local phenomenon called a Willie Willie. The yanks call it a dust devil and generally it is a mini cyclone. Typically you see a smattering of leaves to indicate that you are approaching one but not on this occaision.
I packed myself but you should've seen the colour of the surveyor face who was sitting beside the open door. Thank God his belt was done up tight....
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Retirement home..
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Roofus,
I'll bet you know all about tail rotor spider bearings now!
Was the landing light on? If so, did you switch it off on the way down the stairs?
P.S. Glad to see you guys get away with it!
I'll bet you know all about tail rotor spider bearings now!
Was the landing light on? If so, did you switch it off on the way down the stairs?
P.S. Glad to see you guys get away with it!
1. AS350, towing a 33ft geophysics survey bird on a 100ft string in the Kiglapait Mountain range, Northern Labrador, Canada. We went out at dawn to get 20 lines or so done in a 3600ft cirque that hadn't let us in for a week due to high winds. Cirque valley was full of snow and it was summer (you mountain boys already know the rest). The cold air decided to rush out of the cirque while we were descending vertically down the cirque wall on Line 12. We lost 1300-1500 ft and recovered at the bottom.
2. SK61, Canadian Arctic. Blade pocket let go causing serious 1/rev all the way down to the creek bed.
3. B212, Cambodia, Jungle, Monsoon rain, lost, both low fuel lights on. While preparing the pax (14 Bangladeshi soldiers) for the landing (if one could find a place), and inevitably being taken hostage by the NADK, the UN camp we had been looking for came in view. Landed, tried to look cool like nothing ever happened, removed horseshoe, drank large amount of black rum.
2. SK61, Canadian Arctic. Blade pocket let go causing serious 1/rev all the way down to the creek bed.
3. B212, Cambodia, Jungle, Monsoon rain, lost, both low fuel lights on. While preparing the pax (14 Bangladeshi soldiers) for the landing (if one could find a place), and inevitably being taken hostage by the NADK, the UN camp we had been looking for came in view. Landed, tried to look cool like nothing ever happened, removed horseshoe, drank large amount of black rum.
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: UK
Age: 81
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1. Bell 47J2 – freewheel unit let go at top of torque turn at 250 feet. Poor old Lycoming putting out lots of rpm but not driving anything. Big dent in the ground.
2. Bell 214ST – 3000 ft just going offshore – main rotor drag brace snapped – longest 90 seconds I’ve ever known until we landed in a field.
3. Bell 47J2 – U/S fuel gauge – after a long flight, putting 0.5 gallon of fuel more into the tanks than the flight manual total fuel capacity. Stupid boy!
4. Bolkow 105D – as a passenger – guy up front flies us through an 11,000 volt power line – best firework display I’ve ever seen.
2. Bell 214ST – 3000 ft just going offshore – main rotor drag brace snapped – longest 90 seconds I’ve ever known until we landed in a field.
3. Bell 47J2 – U/S fuel gauge – after a long flight, putting 0.5 gallon of fuel more into the tanks than the flight manual total fuel capacity. Stupid boy!
4. Bolkow 105D – as a passenger – guy up front flies us through an 11,000 volt power line – best firework display I’ve ever seen.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2001
Location: perth
Posts: 231
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some Excellent stories here you guys, well done, my snake was in a container that some Indonesian drilling workers were bring back to camp, (the reason why is beyond me) and it was only after a blood curdling scream from one of them, that I realised something was not right, landed in the nearest clearing and 6 of us got out asap, the snake was under the co pilots seat, DOH DOH DOH!!!
Had a couple more but not as bad as some as you guys,
Keep em coming...............
ROOFUS, you sure have a thing about tail rotors mate, at least youre still around to tell all of us about it!!!
[ 14 August 2001: Message edited by: sling load ]
Had a couple more but not as bad as some as you guys,
Keep em coming...............
ROOFUS, you sure have a thing about tail rotors mate, at least youre still around to tell all of us about it!!!
[ 14 August 2001: Message edited by: sling load ]
Join Date: May 2001
Location: down under
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
shy torque: excellent humour! i was picturing how you look like now when i read "rpm to zero".
i had a really long day, only to continue into the night with a following news flight in the morning on a jetranger that was overloaded with equipment, reporter, and fuel. flying tailwind at 500' along a city street, i pedal-turned (following the centerline of the road) the aircraft so that i could hover into the wind. fatigue made my brain work slower and i didn't think when the helicopter slowly started a descent, and upon reaching 100% torque, the machine suddenly was in a well developed settling with power. nose down (slightly), freeze, and recover 80' over the ground. the reporter was very quiet after that, and i was wide awake!
i had a really long day, only to continue into the night with a following news flight in the morning on a jetranger that was overloaded with equipment, reporter, and fuel. flying tailwind at 500' along a city street, i pedal-turned (following the centerline of the road) the aircraft so that i could hover into the wind. fatigue made my brain work slower and i didn't think when the helicopter slowly started a descent, and upon reaching 100% torque, the machine suddenly was in a well developed settling with power. nose down (slightly), freeze, and recover 80' over the ground. the reporter was very quiet after that, and i was wide awake!
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1. Just started doing my first solo flights, I was it, I knew it all, what do you need an instructor for!!
Decided to spend the morning doing some pattern work, took of from the ramp and started to climb to the down wind leg. During the climb you have to cross some tall trees (about 100ft), decided I was uncomfortable in the seat and shifted my fat but around just like you do in the easy chair at home. Minor problem, this easy chair doesn't have two arms, one of them is a collective, missed the trees by about 3 inches and almost filled my pants in the process.
2. Castle Martin in the late 80's, I'm in the back of a Lynx Mk3 acting as an extra pair of eyes looking for the bogies (Hawks from RAF Valley). Saw two bright lights, called bogie green 090 in my best topgun voice, pilot banked hard to the left, I'm stuck against the cabin door with my face pressed to the window and I'm sure it didn't but from where I was sitting it looked like the fin of this hawk went through the disc. The pilot got a real close look at top side of the Hawk.
Jiff
Decided to spend the morning doing some pattern work, took of from the ramp and started to climb to the down wind leg. During the climb you have to cross some tall trees (about 100ft), decided I was uncomfortable in the seat and shifted my fat but around just like you do in the easy chair at home. Minor problem, this easy chair doesn't have two arms, one of them is a collective, missed the trees by about 3 inches and almost filled my pants in the process.
2. Castle Martin in the late 80's, I'm in the back of a Lynx Mk3 acting as an extra pair of eyes looking for the bogies (Hawks from RAF Valley). Saw two bright lights, called bogie green 090 in my best topgun voice, pilot banked hard to the left, I'm stuck against the cabin door with my face pressed to the window and I'm sure it didn't but from where I was sitting it looked like the fin of this hawk went through the disc. The pilot got a real close look at top side of the Hawk.
Jiff
Join Date: May 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Scariest moment?…pull up a sand bag!
I had just taken off from the Fearless and heading south, low level, when four argentinian jets came over the ridge and headed straight for me. In that brief moment when ones life is supposed to flash etc. all I could think about was why the hell they would want to shoot down little old me and my gazelle. Then they were past, dumped their load around the Fearless and buggered off to the west. I went back to the flight LS for a change of underwear!
Roofus, Did you exceed the slopping ground limits for the aircraft!
I had just taken off from the Fearless and heading south, low level, when four argentinian jets came over the ridge and headed straight for me. In that brief moment when ones life is supposed to flash etc. all I could think about was why the hell they would want to shoot down little old me and my gazelle. Then they were past, dumped their load around the Fearless and buggered off to the west. I went back to the flight LS for a change of underwear!
Roofus, Did you exceed the slopping ground limits for the aircraft!
Collective Bias,
Great story that might explain what happened to me and a colleage in a B47g.
Flying between Mackay and Rockhampton 1500AGL,overcast but no significant wind,we were suddenly and very violently flipped nose up and over to the right full up collective,all hands and feet off both sets of controls (we had the duals in),baggage in front of us, floating,the biggest,scariest vibrations snd noise you can imagine and a very high rate of descent and spinning.I honestly thought we were dead, we were spinning so violently that neither of us could get our hands back on the controls and I'm not scared to admit I was screaming like a baby.Miraculously at about 500AGL the machine(Christine we like to call her now!) came right way up,albeit still vibrating and an RRPM of 200-250,**** the tails gonna come off now, was the only thing going through my head as I desperately tried to wind on throttle.Well the RRPM didnt recover before we managed to land quite gently in a paddock,got out looked the machine over and obviously in a state of shock, got back in and flew the remaining hour to Rocky.
Hopefully thats gonna be my only fright in a Helicopter,I dont think the heart can take much more.
Nick
Great story that might explain what happened to me and a colleage in a B47g.
Flying between Mackay and Rockhampton 1500AGL,overcast but no significant wind,we were suddenly and very violently flipped nose up and over to the right full up collective,all hands and feet off both sets of controls (we had the duals in),baggage in front of us, floating,the biggest,scariest vibrations snd noise you can imagine and a very high rate of descent and spinning.I honestly thought we were dead, we were spinning so violently that neither of us could get our hands back on the controls and I'm not scared to admit I was screaming like a baby.Miraculously at about 500AGL the machine(Christine we like to call her now!)
came right way up,albeit still vibrating and an RRPM of 200-250,**** the tails gonna come off now, was the only thing going through my head as I desperately tried to wind on throttle.Well the RRPM didnt recover before we managed to land quite gently in a paddock,got out looked the machine over and obviously in a state of shock, got back in and flew the remaining hour to Rocky.Hopefully thats gonna be my only fright in a Helicopter,I dont think the heart can take much more.
Nick
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
Age: 60
Posts: 2,051
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes
on
6 Posts
Puma, Belizzzzzzzzze, Oil cooler exploded with holes on the cowlings and cabin roof, cabin filled with smoke, MGBP&T, I s##t myself and then autorotate into a jungle clearing with a big splash. Tail drive shaft bent and top deck a real mess. It's not all Pina Coladas you know!
[ 15 August 2001: Message edited by: jayteeto ]
[ 15 August 2001: Message edited by: jayteeto ]