Lama accident in dense fog
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Lama accident in dense fog
The pilot of a SA 315B Lama helicopter was heavily injured during a high risk take off in extreme fog in a german ski area in Bavaria on friday. The ship was completely destroyed.
After waiting 2 days because of bad weather the crew decided on friday afternoon to try to come home into the weekend. On visibilities from only 30-50m a crewmember tried to guide the helicopter from a snowmobile as a reference point into the valley. The weather in the valley was good.
Short after take off the pilot lost the snowmobile out of sight and touched some trees. A few hundred meters away the ski area with hundreds of skiers was at this time in fully operation. Fortunately no others were injured.
Again dumb helicopter publicity in public
After waiting 2 days because of bad weather the crew decided on friday afternoon to try to come home into the weekend. On visibilities from only 30-50m a crewmember tried to guide the helicopter from a snowmobile as a reference point into the valley. The weather in the valley was good.
Short after take off the pilot lost the snowmobile out of sight and touched some trees. A few hundred meters away the ski area with hundreds of skiers was at this time in fully operation. Fortunately no others were injured.
Again dumb helicopter publicity in public
Re: Lama accident in dense fog
I can't believe he even thought about trying this - talk about pressonitis, I hope he's learned his lesson.
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
How stupid. Maybe understandable if the flight was for going to save a life. But just to get home for the weekend (I assume that was the reason as posted) would anybody of you guys follow a Snowmobile down into a valley topped off with fog? Feel sorry for the Lama.
Last edited by Bitmonx; 8th Jan 2006 at 18:21.
Thread Starter
Re: Lama accident in dense fog
Check this for further photos.
photolink
Got informations the pilot talked to the cable car operator and the local mountain troopers prior his planned take off but nobody wanted to stopp him! No!!!They were so friendly to release their snowmobile for such an experiment.
Interesting is the media statement of the operator:
"Helicopter flying isn't the same like car driving. It's a hot job as we all know. Proportional to the flight hours we are still on the good side."
I have heard a lot of post-accident statements but i confess i was in this case surprised! How can an operator be "on the good side" if one of his pilots is seriously injured or pilots died in the past? Is this the safety attitude in times of JAR-OPS3 and Quality Management???
Feel memories about the "night safety" thread http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=204462 and company attitude.
In the last 15 years the operator lost several (i believe 6 or 7) ships. At least 2 pilots died and others were injured.
The name of the operator? One of the leading austrian helicopter operators!
photolink
Got informations the pilot talked to the cable car operator and the local mountain troopers prior his planned take off but nobody wanted to stopp him! No!!!They were so friendly to release their snowmobile
for such an experiment.Interesting is the media statement of the operator:
"Helicopter flying isn't the same like car driving. It's a hot job as we all know. Proportional to the flight hours we are still on the good side."
I have heard a lot of post-accident statements but i confess i was in this case surprised! How can an operator be "on the good side" if one of his pilots is seriously injured or pilots died in the past? Is this the safety attitude in times of JAR-OPS3 and Quality Management???
Feel memories about the "night safety" thread http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=204462 and company attitude.
In the last 15 years the operator lost several (i believe 6 or 7) ships. At least 2 pilots died and others were injured.
The name of the operator? One of the leading austrian helicopter operators!
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
tecpilot
Why would the cable car operator and mountain troopers try to stop him? What do they know about helicopter flying in adverse conditions? They would normally assume that the pilot would know what the limitiations are and would plan accordingly ........ sadly it would appear not to be the case this time. Gethomeitis has struck again!
I certainly agree with your comments re "being on the good side" despite this and many other accidents........
Got informations the pilot talked to the cable car operator and the local mountain troopers prior his planned take off but nobody wanted to stopp him! No!!!They were so friendly to release their snowmobile for such an experiment
I certainly agree with your comments re "being on the good side" despite this and many other accidents........
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
Maybe understandable if the flight was for going to save a life.
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
Okay, I agree with nearly everything that has been posted on this thread, but…..
“Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt” and also in a Lama… and I suspect that many other Rotorheads have too!
The difference is I did it years ago when people weren’t so politically correct, AND I got away with it.
Let’s not be too hard on the guy who had been stuck for two days in bad weather and under unknown pressures…but yes let us try and get the message across, to both sides of the management divide, that this is too risky and the risk assessment matrix should say “no go”!
“Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt” and also in a Lama… and I suspect that many other Rotorheads have too!
The difference is I did it years ago when people weren’t so politically correct, AND I got away with it.
Let’s not be too hard on the guy who had been stuck for two days in bad weather and under unknown pressures…but yes let us try and get the message across, to both sides of the management divide, that this is too risky and the risk assessment matrix should say “no go”!
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
Oogle, read my post.......I said if he was GOING for safeing a life. But then again he would have not been alone in the bird which would make it reckless.
Maybe Wucher Heli is happy that they got rid of the Lama as I have been told it is quite difficult to sell one of these days......
Maybe Wucher Heli is happy that they got rid of the Lama as I have been told it is quite difficult to sell one of these days......
Re: Lama accident in dense fog
Ever flown in the Aleutian Islands....flying in FOG was a "normal" everyday common practice. We used the old tried and true schoolyard method of ...."warmer...warmer...colder...colder...warmer..."to find folks that were off the survey line. Otherwise it was follow the survey lines....up the mainline...left on the 3500 to the 4000...right turn...and so on.
You have not been lost until you have been lost in that kind of vis...and no really nice place to land...especially knowing it might be two...three weeks until the fog lifts enough to see where you are.
It is possible to fly in weather bad enough that you cannot scare a sea gull off a rock.
But...that was a whole different time than nowadays.
You have not been lost until you have been lost in that kind of vis...and no really nice place to land...especially knowing it might be two...three weeks until the fog lifts enough to see where you are.
It is possible to fly in weather bad enough that you cannot scare a sea gull off a rock.
But...that was a whole different time than nowadays.
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
Maybe Wucher Heli is happy that they got rid of the Lama as I have been told it is quite difficult to sell one of these days......
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
I am not very susceptible to motion sickness.
I followed a friend down a ski run once in white-out conditions due to heavy fog. He knew the route, I didn't. All I could see was his dark-jacketed body ahead. The lack of any other visual cues, me bouncing around, him bouncing around made me dizzy and eventually I had to stop and vomit. I was seasick!
You cannot remain orientated on a single point for any length of time. Obviously, this accident proves that, but I thought my case was interesting enough to post here amongst you Rotorheads.
QDM
I followed a friend down a ski run once in white-out conditions due to heavy fog. He knew the route, I didn't. All I could see was his dark-jacketed body ahead. The lack of any other visual cues, me bouncing around, him bouncing around made me dizzy and eventually I had to stop and vomit. I was seasick!
You cannot remain orientated on a single point for any length of time. Obviously, this accident proves that, but I thought my case was interesting enough to post here amongst you Rotorheads.
QDM
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Re: Lama accident in dense fog
Sorry...what happened? was he alone...hate to say this but this dude must have been high on something. if its a no go then it is a NO GO. spent the night in a chalet, shag a woman, have fun...but dont commit a stupid maneuver like this one...I feel sorry for the helicopter