Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Rotorheads
Reload this Page >

Puma ditching Nigeria

Wikiposts
Search
Rotorheads A haven for helicopter professionals to discuss the things that affect them

Puma ditching Nigeria

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 13th Dec 2009, 23:26
  #21 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I got video

I received video footage taken from a passenger right after ditching. It is up on vtolblog.com now. Incredible stuff and glad nobody was injured!
infosource is offline  
Old 13th Dec 2009, 23:37
  #22 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Brunei
Age: 62
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The boys done good!

1. Professional well trained crew.

2. Controlled ditching in the sea.

3. 18 pax and crew walk (swim) away with it.

Regardless of the initial cause, the crew did an excellent job and have potentially saves lives - no mean feat. Pilots do normally have a sense of self preservation, the more they invoke this, the fewer lives may be lost. The temptation to persevere those extra few yards or miles to an apparant 'safe haven', has caused more problems than those who have taken the more conservative path.

Well done chaps (chapesses).

Doc
Doc Cameron is offline  
Old 13th Dec 2009, 23:59
  #23 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Den Haag
Age: 57
Posts: 6,264
Received 336 Likes on 188 Posts
Info,
I just looked and couldn't see the actual link to teh video - just the photos. Sorry to be thick!
212man is online now  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 00:00
  #24 (permalink)  
WOP
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Age: 43
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
YouTube - Bristow Puma helicopter right after ditching off the sea of Nigeria

WOP is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 00:15
  #25 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
not sure why

I'm not sure why but other people don't seem to be having issues. Well at least you can see it linked in this thread now directly.
infosource is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 00:21
  #26 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Montreal
Posts: 715
Received 14 Likes on 11 Posts
Great video. What can you guys tell from it - heavy rain, visibility looks poor, expat crew.

No early rumors yet of why it went in? Weather makes me think CFIT, or maybe an engine accidentally shut down when they went to arm the floats, what else.....control problem leading the crew to elect to ditch close, (but not too close), etc?? Passengers look pretty calm, no big rush for the exits.

Nice rescue boat, gear looks complete and well-organized (helmets with visors, lifejackets, etc), arrives pretty quick too. I like that oil company already - is it Chevron?
malabo is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 04:55
  #27 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Beside the seaside
Posts: 670
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Considering that the very small float arm switch is at the rear of the central console and the very large SSL's and fuel shut off's are in the roof console I can't quite see what you are getting at Malabo.
Epiphany is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 06:21
  #28 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 366
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Good Effort!!!! Video & Pics appreciated. Gives some of us who haven't had experience out over water or oil gas industry about what actually happens during an emergency.
Sweet that everyone just walked away, and probably even got some hot showers
Kulwin Park is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 12:46
  #29 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
Posts: 18,290
Received 516 Likes on 215 Posts
Malabo.....perhaps we might wait a while and see what leaks out. Everyone is guessing this happened during landing, during poor vis, and all sorts of other events. What if it happened after takeoff....what then?

How does one cause a forced landing by arming the floats?
SASless is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 15:03
  #30 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Norwich
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
What are Nutec teaching these days ???

Hand on your buckle - Locate your nearest emergency exit - Take a deep breath - Whip out your iPhone and rattle off a few minutes of video ????

In future I would recommend this passenger wait until they have at least vacated the aircraft and are safely in the raft, as all passengers (not just the crew) have a responsibility to make sure everyone is evacuated safely.

Still, an interesting video and pretty good quality as well. Weather looks foul. 16,000lbs for OEI IGE hover ?? Sounds a bit low, but I too haven't got any figures to back that up - I'm guessing the temp may have been well above 20'C and with that humidity as well, performance wouldn't have been good.

Well done all on a safe and professional evacuation
Special 25 is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 15:04
  #31 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Den Haag
Age: 57
Posts: 6,264
Received 336 Likes on 188 Posts
Excellent video showing great discipline and restraint by the pax and superb FRC response! It also shows the Captain commanding from the cabin till every one is safely out In fact, it's so well done it almost looks like a training exercise - great job John!

Last edited by 212man; 14th Dec 2009 at 17:11.
212man is online now  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 15:05
  #32 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
Posts: 18,290
Received 516 Likes on 215 Posts
What happened to old fashioned leadership......"Follow Me Lads!"
SASless is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 15:58
  #33 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Beside the seaside
Posts: 670
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As I said Special 25 I do not have the graphs so that is just a guess but from memory it is not far off. I was only answering SASless's Q about hover weights anyhow. There was no reason in this instance for the crew to calculate that.

They would have calculated the DSELW though and if their AUW was higher than that then there would have been no option to land on the helideck. That limits options to flying back to the beach on a single engine (if that was the problem) or ditching. Crews decision - unless it was made for them by another problem.
Epiphany is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2009, 16:34
  #34 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
Posts: 18,290
Received 516 Likes on 215 Posts
A single engine approach to an unstable deck would be an interesting choice if hover performance was questionable at the weight the aircraft was at the time. Given a nice flat warm sea with lots of help immediately at hand would be an attractive alternate option.
SASless is offline  
Old 15th Dec 2009, 03:02
  #35 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Aberdeen, UK
Age: 61
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Interesting video. I'm amazed that a passenger would pull out a camera, or phone in that situation.... but interesting to see.

At around 14 secs in, is that a crew member saying "I just couldn't stop it going down."?

If it is, we all know there could be all sorts of reasons for such a statement - weather, engine failure. I guess we'll find out in due course.

Great job, for 'stopping it going down' enough for a safe water landing and text book evacuation.
Jetboxer is offline  
Old 15th Dec 2009, 04:55
  #36 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Near the beach
Age: 63
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Command and control post ditching

Some other interesting audio from a command and control perspective post ditching:

4.5sec “Wait for my command to get in the life raft… motion has stopped…”

18.5sec “Ok gentlemen, at my command…”

And in the life raft:

34sec “pull…back there… and you can get the roof up”

2:30sec “Away… get away from the helicopter!”

My ear may not have picked this up exactly so please feel free to correct if needed, and if anyone can translate the other parts?
Treg is offline  
Old 15th Dec 2009, 07:21
  #37 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: South Africa
Age: 53
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thumbs up

WELL DONE!!!!

Procedures were followed and no passengers injured.

Helicopter still in one piece!

Not a nice experience but one hell of a story to tell.
SA Wall Fly is offline  
Old 16th Dec 2009, 00:04
  #38 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: LOS
Age: 67
Posts: 580
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rumors it was a power loss on rotation.........
Outwest is offline  
Old 16th Dec 2009, 01:02
  #39 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: away from home
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good try but very wrong, wait for the report
poppahymen is offline  
Old 16th Dec 2009, 03:23
  #40 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Den Haag
Age: 57
Posts: 6,264
Received 336 Likes on 188 Posts
wait for the report
Which report would that be, then?
212man is online now  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.