Helicopter pilot has lucky escape
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: lancashire
Age: 53
Posts: 140
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Helicopter pilot has lucky escape
Scant details from BBC, anybody any more info? Glad to see Pilot got out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...er/7403402.stm
A helicopter pilot escaped unhurt when it crashed and burst into flames in a field in Greater Manchester.
The incident happened close to Walshaw Road, in Tottington, near Bury, just before 1500 BST on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman said: "The helicopter was on fire for a short period and no one was hurt."
The Air Accident Investigation Board has been informed and will conduct an inquiry into the events surrounding the incident.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...er/7403402.stm
A helicopter pilot escaped unhurt when it crashed and burst into flames in a field in Greater Manchester.
The incident happened close to Walshaw Road, in Tottington, near Bury, just before 1500 BST on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman said: "The helicopter was on fire for a short period and no one was hurt."
The Air Accident Investigation Board has been informed and will conduct an inquiry into the events surrounding the incident.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: England
Age: 56
Posts: 591
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As far as I know it is a brand new Robinson R44 (G-LAVH) first registered in April 2008!!! I believe it was going in (or out) of the Bolholt Country House Hotel in Bury, Manchester where it is registered.
Don't have any details of the circumstances, but I have been into the HLS and it is very tight!!!!
Glad to hear that everyone is O.K. which is the main thing.
Joel
Don't have any details of the circumstances, but I have been into the HLS and it is very tight!!!!
Glad to hear that everyone is O.K. which is the main thing.
Joel
Sikorsky did.....don't know about Sikorski.
Seems a bit unusual for a Robbo prang this one. Remained upright and no rotor strike on the tail boom. Also the rear undercarriage legs look substantially intact.
So........with my amateur AAIB investigator hat on:-
No really heavy vertical impact.
No significant RRPM droop.
No significant drift on touchdown therefore no dynamic rollover.
None of the usual Robbo accident causes.
Seems he may have been a bit unlucky for the outcome to be so drastic, to the helicopter at least. Glad the pilot's well enough to let us know what happened.
JJ
So........with my amateur AAIB investigator hat on:-
No really heavy vertical impact.
No significant RRPM droop.
No significant drift on touchdown therefore no dynamic rollover.
None of the usual Robbo accident causes.
Seems he may have been a bit unlucky for the outcome to be so drastic, to the helicopter at least. Glad the pilot's well enough to let us know what happened.
JJ
When it all comes out in the wash, 'Hero helicopter pilot averts disaster. A brand new Helicopter which developed a fault leading to a fire onboard, was landed safely by the pilot on the day it was delivered. Sources close to the flames think it was a leaking fuel pipe which started the blaze, the pilot being skilled enough to steer clear of a nearby school, health club and stables, landing well clear of anyone preventing further injury or damage'
Ok so some artistic licence shown in the above but glad to hear he's ok. Interested to find out what really happened here though.
Ok so some artistic licence shown in the above but glad to hear he's ok. Interested to find out what really happened here though.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,576
Received 426 Likes
on
225 Posts
"Gid away from that thang, Hogg!"
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: North of Antartica
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A Rare thing indeed!!
A crashed robinson with a tailboom and blades still attached!!.
Even with the 'good' Exchange rate that still adds up to a high hourly rate for a days flying.
Intrigued as to the cause, very pleased to hear no one injured
Even with the 'good' Exchange rate that still adds up to a high hourly rate for a days flying.
Intrigued as to the cause, very pleased to hear no one injured
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: On the Rump of Pendle Hill GB
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The big thing is that the pilot is still able to speak and give info as to what happened, No one seems to be hurt possibly with the exception of the insurance company who will be paying the bill.
But it could be somthing so simple that caused the prob, my local rag suggests the pilot got up to about 30/40 feet and then aborted, I suppose it will be explained eventually
Peter R-B
But it could be somthing so simple that caused the prob, my local rag suggests the pilot got up to about 30/40 feet and then aborted, I suppose it will be explained eventually
Peter R-B
Better red than ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Appleby-in-Westmorland Cumbria England
Posts: 1,412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The 44 engine is fed by a semi rigid fuel pipe with a union junction that can undo and hence leak fuel on the underside of the engine. If this spat fuel (and it comes out in fair volumes as the junction nut loosens) onto a hot exhaust it could ignite. Thus you have the start of a fire on the ground. In flight the fuel being lost would go down and backwards away from the hot areas. If the UJ undid in flight then when hovering and landing/ cooling down, you may have the chance to get ignition.
Last edited by helicopter-redeye; 17th May 2008 at 18:56. Reason: spelling/ speling/ selpingfs
Join Date: May 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As we write there's undoubtedly an insurance broker carefully highlighting clauses that minimise or negate their financial liability!
