MD 600 down near Jena, Germany
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Germany
MD 600 down near Jena, Germany
In the eastern region of Germany a MD 600 crashed on Thursday 28th of December. The Copter was chartered by a local grocery store and supposed to wipe snow of the store's roof with it's downwash. Witnesses report a loud noise only seconds after takeoff and smoke coming out of the turbine. The chopper fell down from approximately 30m. Pilot and Co suffer from major injuries, an employe of the store suffers only minor injuries.
Winterchaos nimmt kein Ende: Klirrkälte und Neuschnee in Deutschland - News - Bild.de
Keine neuen Erkenntnisse zu Hubschrauber-Absturz | Thringen | Dnews.de | Nachrichten auf einen Blick
Winterchaos nimmt kein Ende: Klirrkälte und Neuschnee in Deutschland - News - Bild.de
Keine neuen Erkenntnisse zu Hubschrauber-Absturz | Thringen | Dnews.de | Nachrichten auf einen Blick
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
"You shop, we drop" isn't supposed to mean that......
Hope the injured folks recover fully and speedily.
Hope the injured folks recover fully and speedily.
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: UK/OZ
The Copter was chartered by a local grocery store and supposed to wipe snow of the store's roof with it's downwash.
How effective is the aerial snowplough technique? Presumably used to remove loose snow that could fall and hit shoppers?
Mickjoebill
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Holland
Snow clearing
The helicopter involved is D-HHWR RN055 operated by Sky Heli
Many buildings with a flat roof are not constructed to bear a lot of snow.
With heavy snowfall they tend to collapse.
Building regulations are not complied with.
Many buildings with a flat roof are not constructed to bear a lot of snow.
With heavy snowfall they tend to collapse.
Building regulations are not complied with.
Joined: May 2004
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From: N Ireland
How do they go about this? Do they approach carefully from the side or drop vertically slowly from above. Would either technique not result in additional pressure on the roof.
Whats wrong with a couple of lightweights with shovels?
Whats wrong with a couple of lightweights with shovels?
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: I am not sure where we are, but at least it is getting dark
Whats wrong with a couple of lightweights with shovels?
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Linköping, Sweden
Generally not a good idea to climb on a roof that's already creaking under a big load of snow, no matter how light you are.
Clearing snow off a shop roof in what is presumably a built-up area using a single engine helicopter - something doesn't seem right about this arrangement!
YBB
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: airport
Seems to be quite common in Germany, see video below:
Schneeräumen à la Amerika: Mit dem Hubschrauber - zoom.in - Video - sevenload
(text says you would expect something like this in America, but it's in Zwickau/Germany)
Schneeräumen à la Amerika: Mit dem Hubschrauber - zoom.in - Video - sevenload
(text says you would expect something like this in America, but it's in Zwickau/Germany)
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Folks do like to criticise the UK flying rules and regs and some try to use them as a way of jibing at those who must work under them.
For the record, I'm also highly frustrated by them at times. Not least the cost and time factor in getting exemptions or for permissions to carry out a particular flying task. Especially as I was brought up on the far less restrictive military low flying rules.
But it would be difficult to disagree that this accident gives credence to the UK's "500 foot rule".
An aircraft destroyed and three people injured. Looking at the photos, all of them are very lucky not to have been killed.
For the record, I'm also highly frustrated by them at times. Not least the cost and time factor in getting exemptions or for permissions to carry out a particular flying task. Especially as I was brought up on the far less restrictive military low flying rules.
But it would be difficult to disagree that this accident gives credence to the UK's "500 foot rule".
An aircraft destroyed and three people injured. Looking at the photos, all of them are very lucky not to have been killed.
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: US
The merits of heli-snow-blowing aside, does anyone know the flight profile ie. what happened that resulted in the bird sitting broken on the road?
PPRuNe-dudes must have seen this a hundred times but, for those who haven't and seeing as we're on 600's - the classic 'hard landing' by a US Border Patrol ship:
HM
PPRuNe-dudes must have seen this a hundred times but, for those who haven't and seeing as we're on 600's - the classic 'hard landing' by a US Border Patrol ship:
HM
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 921
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From: Europe
Not only the UK 500ft rule but the ICAO 500ft SARP - I'm not sure that any State files a difference.
However, this is Aerial Work which might be permitted in any State if a risk assessment had been carried out.
To state the blindingly obvious, a risk assessment would have this as a 'reasonably probable' outcome on the basis that most engines have a likelihood of failure of 1:100,000 flight hours. It might also be difficult to justify deliberately being in the HV curve with more than one occupant?
No, a twin would be twice as dangerous with a probability of failure of 2:100,000 and a similar outcome (unless it had OEI HOGE).
Jim
However, this is Aerial Work which might be permitted in any State if a risk assessment had been carried out.
To state the blindingly obvious, a risk assessment would have this as a 'reasonably probable' outcome on the basis that most engines have a likelihood of failure of 1:100,000 flight hours. It might also be difficult to justify deliberately being in the HV curve with more than one occupant?
No, a twin would be twice as dangerous with a probability of failure of 2:100,000 and a similar outcome (unless it had OEI HOGE).
Jim
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: airport
In Switzerland it's not uncommon to blow the snow out of trees with Helicopters, to avoid fallen trees blocking roads or somebody getting hit by a tree. A friend of mine was almost hit in her car by a falling tree in 2008. The car behind her drove right into it.
