PLease Help Me Win A Mechnical Debate

[Rick in Dixie]

First off this is quite a story but I will make it as brief as possible, About 20 or so years ago I had read a story in an aviation news Magazine that doing a solo train mission in an AH6 one of the pilots was in serious need of a pit stop, so he set down in the only clearing that he could quickly find, upon leaving the seat he decided to leave every thing running at around 75% power, so he ducked into the woods and the collective was not locked down and it drifted up and produced enough lift for the AH6 to leave the ground, the unit was reported spinning as it danced above the tree line and finally lost transitional lift and crashed. Now remember the pilot is still in the woods taking care of business, he c/o flew over and saw the crashed heli and set down in the same clearing to check on the pilot, when the c/o hiked up through the woods, the first pilot came back to the clearing flew out in the c/o's chopper, and immediately after he crossed the hill he saw a heli laying on its side, so he reports a heli down and turns back to the clearing to check on the pilot, when he lands he see's his c/o walking up to him, the rest of the story said that it took weeks to conveince the young pilot that it was his chopper that left the clearing and crashed and that he indeed took off in his C/O helicopter, the final out come was not published. My question is , is this possible,? these were mid to late 60's models and did not have some of the computer components they have today, I personally know that the AH6 little bird was stricklly a hands on machine , not a lot of bells and whistles. could a pilot leave one unattended under these conditions and it litterally leave the ground. Its been a long time but I thought it happened st Ft, Rucker

[topendtorque]

it can't be dispelled by reference to the normal 'urban myth' quick check on old mate google.

I know that americans can do some crazy things but since you asked for a technical answer, I'll answer with a question.

How far do you think one would walk / run from his machine in the circumstance provided and still not be 'situationally aware' of the chopper's static disposition?

fair dinkum, good try but this is rubbish!

[perfrej]

Possible

As for the technical side of this somewhat interesting story, yeah, the AH6 can probably get aloft on its own if the friction is not on and the spring load of the collective is not proberly rigged. The rest of the story - nah.... Why leave it at 75% when ground ifle is around 60??? Nah...

[Farmer 1]

I heard the same story, with variations, over 30 years ago.

It was an AH1 that time round, in the U.K.

Good story, but believable? Not quite.

[MSP Aviation]

when i took my first intro flight in a robbie about a year ago, there was a brand new sightseeing a-star in a temporary maintenance hangar. the pilot had been on the ground in between loads of pax, forgot the collective friction, and experienced dynamic rollover while distracted by checklists, or something. but a heli certainly couldn't fly out of a clearing with nobody controlling it.

[Hippolite]

Same old story used to do the rounds suggesting that someone had landed on an unmanned oil platform, helicopter disappeared due poor friction, another one landed, pilot went down other steps to toilet.........etc etc.

Urban myth, all of them I am afraid.

[outhouse]

Urban Myth or !!!

As with all interesting stories relating to aviation and the welcome habit of these being normally remembered and passed on over a few pints at the local hostelry, the facts relating to the original event hardly ever survive the passing of time. The myth becomes a fact, still an interesting story over the 3rd or 4th pint, but sometimes not an acceptable or believable story when discussed in the cool light of day and a sober environment.
However as with most good stories based on an actual event, some of the original can still be found buried in the myth.
The basis of this one I feel dates back over 35 years, to the time when Ft Rucker was trying to provide the cannon fodder for the emerging enterprise in a rather nasty and then unknown country. I am sure that some oldies have quietly smiled and remembered a time long ago, from the world we know today.

Outhouse

[flyer43]

Same old story used to do the rounds suggesting that someone had landed on an unmanned oil platform, helicopter disappeared due poor friction, another one landed, pilot went down other steps to toilet.........etc etc.

Actually, one of those is not so much an urban myth, and I'm sure there are one or two other Ppruners out there who might be able to confirm this one.
Many moons ago a pilot left his helicopter running but unattended on the deck of an offshore installation (not sure whether it was manned or unmanned, bu I thin it was somewhere in the gulf (not of Mexico!)). The helicopter 'took a walk' across the helideck and disappeared over the side ..................

As for the original story on this thread. I have heard this particlar story in a number of different ways. One being that two overseas officers were posted to a UK military base. Both when flying, one landed for a call of nature and the heli rolled down the slope he had landed at the top of. Colleague landed to check his mate was OK. Matey takes colleagues heli, heads back to base and was found later reading a newspaper in the officers mess. Looked very surprised when asked what had happened etc etc....... Therefore tend to agree that it has to be a myth.

[the coyote]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!!

[Flyting]

ghost ship

We had a guy flying game capture in the bush in South Africa who had the same experience with a R22.

While doing capture we keep the fuel at a minimum to keep thing light as we fly at around 4000' @ 30 degrees. Fetch animals, chase into boma, land and do a hot refuel... We got the phone call at the office from the pilot to tell us that there was a "ghost in his heli" as it had just lifted off on it's own and flew away while he was dealing with the pump... No comments on his intellect there... None needed.
Guess he had fun explaining the story to the insurance co.

[Scissorlink]

Machines normally conveniently fly off by themselves when they are nearly up for a rebuild, or the machine is costing the company a lot of money ...I wonder why that is


SL

[NickLappos]

Just wandered onto this thread, and I know it happened, to a member of my flight school training class. It was on a pinacle at Ft. Wolters, Texas, in 1968, and the student set down to take a P. We were trained to friction the controls and get out to do an LZ recon back then, quite normal. The aircraft was an OH-23. While the student was downslope a bit doing his business, the helo became just airborne enough to slither down the hill and beat itself to a pulp. The pilot (whose name shall not be devulged here!) stood on the top of the hill and waved for a long time before anyone saw him.

[Geoffersincornwall]

The one that got away

I certainly believe the one about the guy in the Persian Gulf. I believe it was a Frenchman flying for Bristow. His 206, unlike most, had the yaw servo fitted and and this had a habit of 'creeping' when unattended. The story is that having taken the normal 206 precaution of winding on the frictions he leapt out for a pee and when he came back the yaw servo had applied full pedal and the machine wound itself off the deck.

"Ou est mon deux cent six?" he said

"Mon Dieux!!! Il a f**?**d off over the deck edge" ...... or words to that effect.

G

[flyer43]

Quelle bon command du langue franglais, n'est pas?
Vraiment, c'etait un pilot francais qui a laisser son helico pour faire pee pee etc
A son retour l'appareil est parti.......
Merde!!

Bonjour Monsiour Geoffers. Jouez vous toujours le squash?