AS350 Crash caught live on TV, Auckland, NZ
Popping the door isn't unusual for a trolley landing, especially if the pad is a bit narrow. It gives the ability to spot the skids more easily, plus he has the seat mod to put him further toward the door for lift work.
Fairy snuff: I did check in the BK mirror to make sure the skid was on the trolley line, but don't recall actually checking before/during the event.
But I guess a six inch clearance would concentrate the mind
But I guess a six inch clearance would concentrate the mind
Well, that's your problem.
Anyway, he obviously screwed up everything with flying debris... go there, grab him by the balls and tell him that he lost some stuff, and then go practice some traffic patterns to lay off some steam.
Anyway, he obviously screwed up everything with flying debris... go there, grab him by the balls and tell him that he lost some stuff, and then go practice some traffic patterns to lay off some steam.
Chopper crash pilot wants answers - national | Stuff.co.nz
interesting to read
was there really no other way to do this?
would you decent like that next to 80ft tower with the sling cable still attached to the top of it?
and put you in situation with very limited options.
The pilot in last month's central Auckland helicopter crash says he doesn't understand the actions of a rigger involved in the spectacular accident.
The Civil Aviation Authority today released its preliminary findings which showed the November 23 accident happened when a rigging supervisor jumped up to grab a cable from the bottom of the helicopter, causing it to tighten and touch the aircraft's rotor blade.
Pilot Greg Gribble walked away from the accident, which happened as he was helping erect the Telecom Christmas tree on Auckland's waterfront. The crash was seen live on the internet and footage went around the world.
The CAA report said "massive out of balance forces" tore through the helicopter after it struck the lifting line, which was attached to the bottom of the helicopter and the top of a nearby tower.
"After raising the tower, the helicopter descended to hover at about 5m so the lifting line could be detached from its hook by the rigging supervisor on the ground," it said.
"When the rigging supervisor jumped up to grab the line, it instantly tightened and touched the helicopter's main rotor blades. The force of the impact caused major structural damage and the aircraft hit the ground."
Gribble, who had not seen the preliminary report, said he'd had no explanation from the rigger, calling his actions a "massive rush of blood to the head".
They knew what caused the accident but wanted to know why the man had acted that way.
"Nobody knows [why], he's the only guy that can actually tell anyone the reason why he jumped up and grabbed that rope and I'm still gobsmacked."
Gribble, who was interviewed by CAA last week, said the man had refused to speak with him since but he believed the man had told CAA he didn't know why he had done it "which is a pretty **** answer".
He said they had put together a detailed plan with the ground crew from Henderson company Uni-Rigg about how to release the line and were communicating via radio.
Gribble said he could not get the helicopter low enough to the ground to unclip the rope and decided to instead hover above the tower for someone to unclip him from there.
He was pulling up to do that when the accident happened, he said.
Gribble expected the full report would detail exactly what happened and said he would release his own findings once it was all over.
CAA spokeswoman Emma Peel said the reason for the rigger's actions would form part of the investigation along with the suitability of the plans formulated between Gribble and the ground crew.
"It's possible that we may find the rigger was told to do precisely that in which case the actual cause of the event shifts and it becomes about whether or not the actual plan was a good one," she said.
"We know from experience with aircraft accidents that what might appear very obvious right in the early stages can sort of recede in importance as the investigation continues.
"We see that actually, no, although that physically caused the accident, that wasn't the real problem - the real problem was something else and that's why we have a longer, drawn out process to actually get to the real [reason] why this has happened rather than just the initial thought of what happened."
The investigation is continuing with a focus on the pre-flight safety briefings, the pilot's experience and training, health and safety aspects, potential preventative measures that could have been used, and the identification of human factors that apply to this accident.
The full findings could take up to 12 months.
Uni-Rigg could not be reached for comment.
The Civil Aviation Authority today released its preliminary findings which showed the November 23 accident happened when a rigging supervisor jumped up to grab a cable from the bottom of the helicopter, causing it to tighten and touch the aircraft's rotor blade.
Pilot Greg Gribble walked away from the accident, which happened as he was helping erect the Telecom Christmas tree on Auckland's waterfront. The crash was seen live on the internet and footage went around the world.
The CAA report said "massive out of balance forces" tore through the helicopter after it struck the lifting line, which was attached to the bottom of the helicopter and the top of a nearby tower.
"After raising the tower, the helicopter descended to hover at about 5m so the lifting line could be detached from its hook by the rigging supervisor on the ground," it said.
"When the rigging supervisor jumped up to grab the line, it instantly tightened and touched the helicopter's main rotor blades. The force of the impact caused major structural damage and the aircraft hit the ground."
Gribble, who had not seen the preliminary report, said he'd had no explanation from the rigger, calling his actions a "massive rush of blood to the head".
They knew what caused the accident but wanted to know why the man had acted that way.
"Nobody knows [why], he's the only guy that can actually tell anyone the reason why he jumped up and grabbed that rope and I'm still gobsmacked."
Gribble, who was interviewed by CAA last week, said the man had refused to speak with him since but he believed the man had told CAA he didn't know why he had done it "which is a pretty **** answer".
He said they had put together a detailed plan with the ground crew from Henderson company Uni-Rigg about how to release the line and were communicating via radio.
Gribble said he could not get the helicopter low enough to the ground to unclip the rope and decided to instead hover above the tower for someone to unclip him from there.
He was pulling up to do that when the accident happened, he said.
Gribble expected the full report would detail exactly what happened and said he would release his own findings once it was all over.
CAA spokeswoman Emma Peel said the reason for the rigger's actions would form part of the investigation along with the suitability of the plans formulated between Gribble and the ground crew.
"It's possible that we may find the rigger was told to do precisely that in which case the actual cause of the event shifts and it becomes about whether or not the actual plan was a good one," she said.
"We know from experience with aircraft accidents that what might appear very obvious right in the early stages can sort of recede in importance as the investigation continues.
"We see that actually, no, although that physically caused the accident, that wasn't the real problem - the real problem was something else and that's why we have a longer, drawn out process to actually get to the real [reason] why this has happened rather than just the initial thought of what happened."
The investigation is continuing with a focus on the pre-flight safety briefings, the pilot's experience and training, health and safety aspects, potential preventative measures that could have been used, and the identification of human factors that apply to this accident.
The full findings could take up to 12 months.
Uni-Rigg could not be reached for comment.
was there really no other way to do this?
would you decent like that next to 80ft tower with the sling cable still attached to the top of it?
and put you in situation with very limited options.
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Hooks can take 10-20lbs to release, depending on make and aircraft.
Synthetic lines can also wrap up on the hook tongue, and then not release at all, even with an open hook.
Synthetic lines can also wrap up on the hook tongue, and then not release at all, even with an open hook.
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six inch clearance would concentrate the mind
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would you decent like that next to 80ft tower with the sling cable still attached to the top of it?
Me thinks the crash has knocked him silly!
The guy stays hooked to the tower....descends all that way to just off the ground...and despite all the radio gear...the preflight brief on Emergency Procedures...and what appears to be a stabliized hover....he thinks the Rigger is at fault and did something weird and in contradiction to the preagreed plan?
Yeah right! The Insurance Company is probably telliing him they intend not to pay the claim due to his negligent operation of the aircraft and he is casting around looking for someone to blame!
His account of the event just doesn't square with the video...so I guess we should ignore our lying eyes just like a Wife confronting her cheating Husband with a video of his dalliance.
I see this as a case of a guy doing something he knows not enough about.
If the briefed plan for a hung hook was for two Riggers to climb the tower and release the line at the Tower End....why did he descend all that way? Did he not realize the line had not released? Was he going to shout in the Rigger's ear? He could not land because the line was too short...did he not realize that before the operation?
This guy is not the "hero" he is being made out to be....more like a standard issue "Dumbass" it appears to me!
What is amazing is how the seat in the aircraft failed...or the seat belt restraint system as he flailed about outside the aircraft before coming to rest against the aft bulkhead laying on the aircraft floor.
Did the seat fail or did he become separated from the seat?
The guy stays hooked to the tower....descends all that way to just off the ground...and despite all the radio gear...the preflight brief on Emergency Procedures...and what appears to be a stabliized hover....he thinks the Rigger is at fault and did something weird and in contradiction to the preagreed plan?
Yeah right! The Insurance Company is probably telliing him they intend not to pay the claim due to his negligent operation of the aircraft and he is casting around looking for someone to blame!
His account of the event just doesn't square with the video...so I guess we should ignore our lying eyes just like a Wife confronting her cheating Husband with a video of his dalliance.
I see this as a case of a guy doing something he knows not enough about.
If the briefed plan for a hung hook was for two Riggers to climb the tower and release the line at the Tower End....why did he descend all that way? Did he not realize the line had not released? Was he going to shout in the Rigger's ear? He could not land because the line was too short...did he not realize that before the operation?
This guy is not the "hero" he is being made out to be....more like a standard issue "Dumbass" it appears to me!
What is amazing is how the seat in the aircraft failed...or the seat belt restraint system as he flailed about outside the aircraft before coming to rest against the aft bulkhead laying on the aircraft floor.
Did the seat fail or did he become separated from the seat?
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The NZCAA report is below. Clearly they are looking into some of the planning, coordination and personnel issues.
An average male could reach a wire 3m off the ground, 3.4-4m if they jumped. Pulling the wire to head height would pull it down to 2m. For a cable already sagging below the helicopter, that would not give that much lateral movement in the plane of the rotor and implies there was very little rotor to cable clearance in the first place.
The CAA drawing suggests a 25m tower and a 30m wire. The maths suggests a blade strike was inevitable if a low altitude de-hook was planned.
Preliminary Report
ZK-HIG Accident, Auckland Viaduct Harbour
23 November 2011
Abstract
At approximately 0935 hours New Zealand Daylight Time on 23 November 2011, the pilot of ZK-HIG, an Aerospatiale AS350B2 helicopter, was engaged in a lifting operation at the Auckland Viaduct Harbour. The objective of the operation was to raise the tower of the Auckland Christmas tree from the ground into a vertical position, to allow ground personnel to secure the base of the tower.
After the tower was secured the helicopter descended slowly toward the ground. The helicopter then hovered approximately five metres above the ground, adjacent to the tower.
While the helicopter was hovering a loud bang was heard and the helicopter fell to the ground with the engine still running. Once the helicopter came to rest the pilot was extracted from the wreckage almost immediately, by ground personnel standing close by.
Factual Information
The helicopter operator was engaged by the rigging contractor for the purpose of erecting the 25 metre tall tower for the Auckland Christmas tree located at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour.
The plan was for two lifts to be conducted. The first lift was to raise the tower from the horizontal into the vertical position using the Kevlar lifting line, the tower pivoting on two bolts in the base. Then, once in the vertical position, two more bolts were to be inserted into the base corners and three temporary cable stays would be applied to hold the tower in place. The lifting line would then be released from the helicopter’s hook and removed from the
tower by a rigger. The second lift would follow to position the ‘star’ ornament onto the top of the tower
The first lift proceeded well, until it came time to release the lifting line from the helicopters hook. The pilot then descended the helicopter toward the ground. The pilot was in radio communication with the rigging supervisor who was standing underneath the helicopter.
When the helicopter hovered at approximately five metres above the ground, the rigging supervisor was seen to jump up and grab the lifting line which was sagging below the helicopter.
The act of pulling downwards on the lifting line to release it from the helicopter’s hook instantly tightened the lifting line, which was still attached to the top of the adjacent tower, and the strop came into contact with the main rotor blades. The force of the impact of the main rotor blades on the lifting line caused massive out of balance forces within the helicopter’s rotating components, which resulted in the loss of the structural integrity of the helicopter whilst in flight. The helicopter then fell to the ground. All parties managed to escape without injury.
Injuries to persons
The accident did not result in any appreciable physical injury to any person.
Weather conditions
On the day, the wind was predominantly 10 to 15 knots from the North with good visibility.
Wreckage and impact information
The main rotor blades exhibited signs of significant impact with the hard surface of the pavement. The three arms on the main rotor ‘starflex’ were sheared by the impact forces.
The main rotor transmission and the tail boom had separated from the helicopter. The fuselage of the helicopter had come to rest close to the Christmas tree tower, facing in the opposite direction to that which it was facing at the time of the main rotor blade impact with the lifting line. The pilot’s seat had separated from the helicopter during the accident sequence.
Ongoing investigation activities
The safety investigation is continuing and will include:
• Further interviews with personnel.
• Understanding of the particulars of the pre flight safety briefings.
• Consideration of any preventative measures that could have been used.
• Consideration of the pilot’s experience and training.
• Identification of possible human factors that might be relevant to the accident.
• Consideration of health and safety aspects of the helicopter lifting operation.
ZK-HIG Accident, Auckland Viaduct Harbour
23 November 2011
Abstract
At approximately 0935 hours New Zealand Daylight Time on 23 November 2011, the pilot of ZK-HIG, an Aerospatiale AS350B2 helicopter, was engaged in a lifting operation at the Auckland Viaduct Harbour. The objective of the operation was to raise the tower of the Auckland Christmas tree from the ground into a vertical position, to allow ground personnel to secure the base of the tower.
After the tower was secured the helicopter descended slowly toward the ground. The helicopter then hovered approximately five metres above the ground, adjacent to the tower.
While the helicopter was hovering a loud bang was heard and the helicopter fell to the ground with the engine still running. Once the helicopter came to rest the pilot was extracted from the wreckage almost immediately, by ground personnel standing close by.
Factual Information
The helicopter operator was engaged by the rigging contractor for the purpose of erecting the 25 metre tall tower for the Auckland Christmas tree located at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour.
The plan was for two lifts to be conducted. The first lift was to raise the tower from the horizontal into the vertical position using the Kevlar lifting line, the tower pivoting on two bolts in the base. Then, once in the vertical position, two more bolts were to be inserted into the base corners and three temporary cable stays would be applied to hold the tower in place. The lifting line would then be released from the helicopter’s hook and removed from the
tower by a rigger. The second lift would follow to position the ‘star’ ornament onto the top of the tower
The first lift proceeded well, until it came time to release the lifting line from the helicopters hook. The pilot then descended the helicopter toward the ground. The pilot was in radio communication with the rigging supervisor who was standing underneath the helicopter.
When the helicopter hovered at approximately five metres above the ground, the rigging supervisor was seen to jump up and grab the lifting line which was sagging below the helicopter.
The act of pulling downwards on the lifting line to release it from the helicopter’s hook instantly tightened the lifting line, which was still attached to the top of the adjacent tower, and the strop came into contact with the main rotor blades. The force of the impact of the main rotor blades on the lifting line caused massive out of balance forces within the helicopter’s rotating components, which resulted in the loss of the structural integrity of the helicopter whilst in flight. The helicopter then fell to the ground. All parties managed to escape without injury.
Injuries to persons
The accident did not result in any appreciable physical injury to any person.
Weather conditions
On the day, the wind was predominantly 10 to 15 knots from the North with good visibility.
Wreckage and impact information
The main rotor blades exhibited signs of significant impact with the hard surface of the pavement. The three arms on the main rotor ‘starflex’ were sheared by the impact forces.
The main rotor transmission and the tail boom had separated from the helicopter. The fuselage of the helicopter had come to rest close to the Christmas tree tower, facing in the opposite direction to that which it was facing at the time of the main rotor blade impact with the lifting line. The pilot’s seat had separated from the helicopter during the accident sequence.
Ongoing investigation activities
The safety investigation is continuing and will include:
• Further interviews with personnel.
• Understanding of the particulars of the pre flight safety briefings.
• Consideration of any preventative measures that could have been used.
• Consideration of the pilot’s experience and training.
• Identification of possible human factors that might be relevant to the accident.
• Consideration of health and safety aspects of the helicopter lifting operation.
An average male could reach a wire 3m off the ground, 3.4-4m if they jumped. Pulling the wire to head height would pull it down to 2m. For a cable already sagging below the helicopter, that would not give that much lateral movement in the plane of the rotor and implies there was very little rotor to cable clearance in the first place.
The CAA drawing suggests a 25m tower and a 30m wire. The maths suggests a blade strike was inevitable if a low altitude de-hook was planned.
Last edited by squib66; 20th Dec 2011 at 19:07.
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The Plan
The plan was for two lifts 1. mast 2. crown.
Line was Spectra SK75 12mm MBL 17900kgs
Length 30m (as selected by pilot)
Mast lifted to vertical then crew pin base and rig 3 temporary cables and tension. call clear to pilot.
Pilot to release line from top. if failure to release.
1. pull up chopper and load the line. the mast was secure so no problem
2. Two riggers had to go to top of mast to receive second lift anyway so they were to release manually.
3. bring helicopter down to a hover and ground release.
once clear called pilot descended. radio comms between pilot and his spotter no call to rigger( guy under chopper).
As per plan this was condition 3, no radio calls made to indicate a change to this.
Pilot appears to have released the hook as the rigger had hold of it. Should require 5kgs force to release.
rigger under machine had worst location for judging clearance. Relying on pilot and spotter for call on that.
Rigger experience approx 1500 sling loads various machines. approx 2000hrs working with helicopters as loader driver and rigging installations. 47hrs flight training 12hrs pilot in command. lots of hours ferry flights.
CAA preliminary report.
time of accident wrong
line used wrong
height of mast wrong
no mention of spotter
no mention of agreed plan
never interviewed rigger, or any of the 8 crew in the zone that day
hope this helps with the conversation
Line was Spectra SK75 12mm MBL 17900kgs
Length 30m (as selected by pilot)
Mast lifted to vertical then crew pin base and rig 3 temporary cables and tension. call clear to pilot.
Pilot to release line from top. if failure to release.
1. pull up chopper and load the line. the mast was secure so no problem
2. Two riggers had to go to top of mast to receive second lift anyway so they were to release manually.
3. bring helicopter down to a hover and ground release.
once clear called pilot descended. radio comms between pilot and his spotter no call to rigger( guy under chopper).
As per plan this was condition 3, no radio calls made to indicate a change to this.
Pilot appears to have released the hook as the rigger had hold of it. Should require 5kgs force to release.
rigger under machine had worst location for judging clearance. Relying on pilot and spotter for call on that.
Rigger experience approx 1500 sling loads various machines. approx 2000hrs working with helicopters as loader driver and rigging installations. 47hrs flight training 12hrs pilot in command. lots of hours ferry flights.
CAA preliminary report.
time of accident wrong
line used wrong
height of mast wrong
no mention of spotter
no mention of agreed plan
never interviewed rigger, or any of the 8 crew in the zone that day
hope this helps with the conversation
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Rigger experience approx 1500 sling loads various machines. approx 2000hrs working with helicopters as loader driver and rigging installations. 47hrs flight training 12hrs pilot in command. lots of hours ferry flights.