PHI Crash in Louisiana Jan 2009 - 8 Dead, 1 Injured
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Tom
Can someone tell me if Tom was an older gentleman. I flew with a 412 guy named Tom who's last name escapes me, but it was similar to this guys. We only flew together 3 or 4 times, but I enjoyed his company. When I left PHI he had just been offered a 76 transition.
At least the good news out of this is the weather was good, there were recorders on board and perhaps we will know fairly quickly what caused this tragedy.
It should remind us of the differences between fixed wing aircraft and the mechanical complexity of helicopters and the diligence required to ensure the aircraft is in an airworthy state.
It should remind us of the differences between fixed wing aircraft and the mechanical complexity of helicopters and the diligence required to ensure the aircraft is in an airworthy state.
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Airwon
Although I understand what you mean by your comment, SASless does indeed have a point that hopefully some good should come out of this catastrophe by way of preventing a recurrence. The quicker the information regarding the circumstances of the accident are made available, the quicker improved safety measures can be introduced.
NTSB INVESTIGATING CRASH OF HELICOPTER FLYING TO OIL
PLATFORM
************************************************************
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched four investigators to investigate the fatal crash of a helicopter in Louisiana on Sunday shortly after it took off to transport workers to an offshore oil platform.
At approximately 2:09 p.m. (CST), January 4, 2009, a Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter (N748P), operated by PHI, Inc., crashed into swampy terrain just north of the Gulf of Mexico coastline near Morgan City, Louisiana. The aircraft was on a Part 135 revenue flight to oil platform number 301B. It had taken off from Amelie, Louisiana about 7 minutes before the crash. There were no radio reports of problems from the crew before the crash. Weather at the time is reported to have been visual flight rule conditions, with scattered
clouds at 1,000 feet and 10 miles visibility.
An Emergency Locating Transmitter (ELT) emitted a signal following the crash and helped search and rescue personnel find the wreckage. Eight of the nine persons aboard perished, and one person is listed in critical condition.
The investigator-in-charge is Bill Gamble from the Board's Central Regional Office. He and another investigator have traveled to West Lafayette, Louisiana, where PHI's headquarters are located. They will review aircraft maintenance records and flight crew records, and interview company personnel.
Another NTSB investigator is at the accident site. He is documenting the wreckage and will oversee the recovery of the wreckage later today. The wreckage will be moved to West Lafayette for further examination.
A fourth investigator arrived yesterday at West Lafayette to supervise the download of data from a maintenance recorder that was recovered from the wreckage. A second maintenance recorder is expected to be recovered today and will also be sent to PHI's facilities for readout.
The aircraft's combination cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder was recovered from the wreckage on Monday and arrived today at the Board's laboratories in Washington, D.C. for readout.
Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, PHI, Sikorsky Aircraft and Turbomeca, the engine manufacturer.
Information on the progress of the investigation will be released by the Board's Public Affairs Office in Washington.
PLATFORM
************************************************************
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched four investigators to investigate the fatal crash of a helicopter in Louisiana on Sunday shortly after it took off to transport workers to an offshore oil platform.
At approximately 2:09 p.m. (CST), January 4, 2009, a Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter (N748P), operated by PHI, Inc., crashed into swampy terrain just north of the Gulf of Mexico coastline near Morgan City, Louisiana. The aircraft was on a Part 135 revenue flight to oil platform number 301B. It had taken off from Amelie, Louisiana about 7 minutes before the crash. There were no radio reports of problems from the crew before the crash. Weather at the time is reported to have been visual flight rule conditions, with scattered
clouds at 1,000 feet and 10 miles visibility.
An Emergency Locating Transmitter (ELT) emitted a signal following the crash and helped search and rescue personnel find the wreckage. Eight of the nine persons aboard perished, and one person is listed in critical condition.
The investigator-in-charge is Bill Gamble from the Board's Central Regional Office. He and another investigator have traveled to West Lafayette, Louisiana, where PHI's headquarters are located. They will review aircraft maintenance records and flight crew records, and interview company personnel.
Another NTSB investigator is at the accident site. He is documenting the wreckage and will oversee the recovery of the wreckage later today. The wreckage will be moved to West Lafayette for further examination.
A fourth investigator arrived yesterday at West Lafayette to supervise the download of data from a maintenance recorder that was recovered from the wreckage. A second maintenance recorder is expected to be recovered today and will also be sent to PHI's facilities for readout.
The aircraft's combination cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder was recovered from the wreckage on Monday and arrived today at the Board's laboratories in Washington, D.C. for readout.
Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, PHI, Sikorsky Aircraft and Turbomeca, the engine manufacturer.
Information on the progress of the investigation will be released by the Board's Public Affairs Office in Washington.
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Well, we can hope for accurate information. The NTSB seems as bad as the FAA with the preliminary info, though. It's Amelia, not Amelie, and there is no West Lafayette, LA. Nor East, South, or North. It's not that big. I suspect they confused it with the one in Indiana. Easy enough to do, I guess, since they're only a dozen or so states apart. 
AirWon,
The good news is the aircraft wreckage has been recovered. Too many times it is not.
The weather was unremarkable. Usually it is just the opposite.
The aircraft was equipped with data/CVR recorders. Usually they are not.
There was a survivor that might be able to describe what happened. Usually there are not any survivors.
That means the investigators have a much better chance of determining the actual cause of the mishap as compared to the other worst case scenarios.
The ability of the investigators to accurately determine a cause will advance the safety of the aircraft and hopefully go a long ways towards preventing another event from the same cause.
There is bad news of course....people have died and one is very badly injured.
If we find the CVR and data recorders playing a key role in the investigation and subsequent finding of the actual cause then the need for such equipment as standard fit on offshore aircraft will be strengthened and maybe....just maybe...the GOM will take another step forward by embracing new technology and getting closer to escapiing from the sad state it has been in for all of its existence.
Your comment is the typical narrow minded response we seem to get when we try to discuss accidents and their probable causes.
We should learn from every single one of these tragedies and do so as soon as possible with a view towards preventing yet another loss of life event.
Our hearts go out to the next of kin of those lost but learning from their loss is important.
No one has cast any dispersion upon the crew or PHI staff regarding this event and that is as it should be. We have to wait for the facts to be presented in the accident report before we begin that process.
The good news is the aircraft wreckage has been recovered. Too many times it is not.
The weather was unremarkable. Usually it is just the opposite.
The aircraft was equipped with data/CVR recorders. Usually they are not.
There was a survivor that might be able to describe what happened. Usually there are not any survivors.
That means the investigators have a much better chance of determining the actual cause of the mishap as compared to the other worst case scenarios.
The ability of the investigators to accurately determine a cause will advance the safety of the aircraft and hopefully go a long ways towards preventing another event from the same cause.
There is bad news of course....people have died and one is very badly injured.
If we find the CVR and data recorders playing a key role in the investigation and subsequent finding of the actual cause then the need for such equipment as standard fit on offshore aircraft will be strengthened and maybe....just maybe...the GOM will take another step forward by embracing new technology and getting closer to escapiing from the sad state it has been in for all of its existence.
Your comment is the typical narrow minded response we seem to get when we try to discuss accidents and their probable causes.
We should learn from every single one of these tragedies and do so as soon as possible with a view towards preventing yet another loss of life event.
Our hearts go out to the next of kin of those lost but learning from their loss is important.
No one has cast any dispersion upon the crew or PHI staff regarding this event and that is as it should be. We have to wait for the facts to be presented in the accident report before we begin that process.
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2nd (at least) NTSB investigation with FDR
No this is not the first NTSB rotorcraft investigation with FDR/CVR. the Copterline S-76 accident in 2005 had both. Neither has a lateral accelerometer though.
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Persch:
This one just might have a lateral accelerometer mounted.
From what I understand this C++ was on contract to Shell who usually demand all there aircraft have a HUMS system installed.
212manīs contribution shows that the investigators were recovering maintenance data recorders along with the CVFDR and I am assuming this will mean a HUMS or VXP recorder depending on what PHI fit to there aircraft?
This one just might have a lateral accelerometer mounted.
From what I understand this C++ was on contract to Shell who usually demand all there aircraft have a HUMS system installed.
212manīs contribution shows that the investigators were recovering maintenance data recorders along with the CVFDR and I am assuming this will mean a HUMS or VXP recorder depending on what PHI fit to there aircraft?
Persch,
I meant for an N registered, and in particular, GoM aircraft. The Copterline accident report was not an NTSB report - it was an Estonian investigation with NTSB (and others) support.
Why the interest in a lateral accelerometer (which clearly it will have, just not recorded on the FDR)? The FDR will have pitch, roll and yaw rate information as well as vertical acceleration. What additional value would lateral 'g' yield?
I meant for an N registered, and in particular, GoM aircraft. The Copterline accident report was not an NTSB report - it was an Estonian investigation with NTSB (and others) support.
Why the interest in a lateral accelerometer (which clearly it will have, just not recorded on the FDR)? The FDR will have pitch, roll and yaw rate information as well as vertical acceleration. What additional value would lateral 'g' yield?
Last edited by 212man; 7th Jan 2009 at 23:46.
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Sasless,
Your long winded justification of your "good news" post was almost palatable; until you had to patronise me by calling my post "typically narrow minded". You make a long list of the bloody obvious without reflecting on the very phrase that you used that pissed me off in the first place.
Yes we learn by acccidents; yes it's just super to have some flight recorders to open up and check, and how wonderful that the weather was so good so we can probably rule that out. Oh, and yes; too bad some guys died.
Methinks you have a little too much time on your hands and are a little too full of yourself.
Take some time, reflect on your thoughts and be brief. I look forward to your 6723rd post on this forum......
Your long winded justification of your "good news" post was almost palatable; until you had to patronise me by calling my post "typically narrow minded". You make a long list of the bloody obvious without reflecting on the very phrase that you used that pissed me off in the first place.
Yes we learn by acccidents; yes it's just super to have some flight recorders to open up and check, and how wonderful that the weather was so good so we can probably rule that out. Oh, and yes; too bad some guys died.
Methinks you have a little too much time on your hands and are a little too full of yourself.
Take some time, reflect on your thoughts and be brief. I look forward to your 6723rd post on this forum......
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AirWon
Totally agree with your post, both first AND second. It's about time someone questioned Sasless - what current professional pilot has all that time for posts?
Totally agree with your post, both first AND second. It's about time someone questioned Sasless - what current professional pilot has all that time for posts?
Originally Posted by rotorsailor2
It's about time someone questioned Sasless - what current professional pilot has all that time for posts?
At the age of 60 (see his bio) he may not be as current as you, but he is perfectly entitled to spend time here: as much as he should want IMO, he's earned it
Anyway, this thread is supposed to be about a tragic accident, not about having a pop at another pilot's posting history
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SASless, the problem is, you didn't preface your post with the requisite, trite, 'RIP & Godspeed to all involved' and went straight to making a valid point. What were you thinking?