EC145 crash in Italy
On typical digital cameras, the blades always spin the wrong way, an illussion caused by capture frame rate and rotor frequency.
Last edited by Phoinix; 23rd Jul 2012 at 12:21.
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I confirm only 2 (pilot and technician) on board ...and they escaped without consequences.
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The actual consequences being that this cowboy endangered the aircraft and crew, wrote off the said aircraft and caused damage to other property!
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Yeh I agree aegir, to call the pilot a cowboy is unfair. It's more likely the crew have forgotten where the wires were and did not sight the hardware on the hill before and during take off. It's a big span that doesn't seem to have marker balls, plus with the light in the wrong direction the wires have probably blended into the back ground. It's good old flying in the wire environment. CRM stuff. Look at some of the Ag, Power line, fire and EMS accidents, they usually hit the wires they knew were there but got preoccupied, were tired or distracted. All it takes is a few seconds loss of concentration due to a phone beeping, someone waving at you etc...
On typical digital cameras, the blades always spin the wrong way, an illussion caused by capture frame rate and rotor frequency.
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This is me and an EC145 near some wires...
...unfortunately I'm the one in the stretcher but despite being out of it on morphine and ketamine courtesy of the Swiss paramedics I was still mildly concerned about the wires and at 6'4" a little concerned about how much of me was overhanging the end of the stretcher meaning it didn't winch up all that level and in my sedated state I was sure it was only velcro straps holding me in.
So I didn't really get to enjoy my little alpine flight as I lay on my back with the hypnotic flashing of the sun beaming down through the M/R and a neck brace pressing into my adams apple, but it was reasuring to know that I was taking the direct route to hospital.
...unfortunately I'm the one in the stretcher but despite being out of it on morphine and ketamine courtesy of the Swiss paramedics I was still mildly concerned about the wires and at 6'4" a little concerned about how much of me was overhanging the end of the stretcher meaning it didn't winch up all that level and in my sedated state I was sure it was only velcro straps holding me in.
So I didn't really get to enjoy my little alpine flight as I lay on my back with the hypnotic flashing of the sun beaming down through the M/R and a neck brace pressing into my adams apple, but it was reasuring to know that I was taking the direct route to hospital.
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No they're not lift cables, they both run to the street lamp so pretty sure they're both power (the one across the road could be telegraph) but looking at google street view Morzine, France - Google Maps gives a different angle. None the less I don't think that the winch cable could have been more than 20metres from the wires.
I do seem to recall that as soon as he'd taken up the slack on the cable it was 'up and away' as I remember dangling over the valley for a bit before being winched the rest of the way in.
I do seem to recall that as soon as he'd taken up the slack on the cable it was 'up and away' as I remember dangling over the valley for a bit before being winched the rest of the way in.
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hueyracer,
I think it's once again a photographic perspective
the hoist cable is not as close to the wires as it looks
moreover, one of the wires seems to go on a telephone/streetlight pole, and look like beeing twisted around its supporting rope
I think it's once again a photographic perspective
the hoist cable is not as close to the wires as it looks
moreover, one of the wires seems to go on a telephone/streetlight pole, and look like beeing twisted around its supporting rope
crice : "I don't think that the winch cable could have been more than 20metres from the wires."
Hello crice,
20 m ! That's very close !
the next time, ride your bycicle on an airport, there's much more room to operate.
(if you were note on a bycicle, my joke is dead...).
for your info, In the country you were on holidays, there are 35 helicopters like this one doing each year about 10 000 winch operations (day and night). it's not a nice experience but you can trust the crew.
And about the crew, it was not a Swiss paramedic but a French emergency doctor. Morzine is in France and if the Swiss Rega has 6 EC145, they're red and withe !
BRGS and hope you're find now
Henri
Hello crice,
20 m ! That's very close !
the next time, ride your bycicle on an airport, there's much more room to operate.
(if you were note on a bycicle, my joke is dead...).for your info, In the country you were on holidays, there are 35 helicopters like this one doing each year about 10 000 winch operations (day and night). it's not a nice experience but you can trust the crew.
And about the crew, it was not a Swiss paramedic but a French emergency doctor. Morzine is in France and if the Swiss Rega has 6 EC145, they're red and withe !
BRGS and hope you're find now
Henri
Last edited by HeliHenri; 26th Jul 2012 at 13:42.
Perspective is deceiving I am sure.
The nearest cables to the camera run to the light pole and it is clearly set back from the roadway. The Power cables run to the building and are below the road grade or almost and are offset from the roadway as well.
As these are highly trained and professional crews....I for one consider their decision based upon the situation to be far more credible than a single poorly posed photo.
The were on the scene....the looked it over and made their decision. I am sure it was the correct one....what is there to be gained by criticizing them?
All that being said....I wonder if there was not an open field within a short distance of the site of the crash that could have been used that would have been much safer. Sometimes a two minute ride in ground transport will provide access to a nice LZ with no hazards at all.
The nearest cables to the camera run to the light pole and it is clearly set back from the roadway. The Power cables run to the building and are below the road grade or almost and are offset from the roadway as well.
As these are highly trained and professional crews....I for one consider their decision based upon the situation to be far more credible than a single poorly posed photo.
The were on the scene....the looked it over and made their decision. I am sure it was the correct one....what is there to be gained by criticizing them?
All that being said....I wonder if there was not an open field within a short distance of the site of the crash that could have been used that would have been much safer. Sometimes a two minute ride in ground transport will provide access to a nice LZ with no hazards at all.
Last edited by SASless; 26th Jul 2012 at 13:16.
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HeliHenri, yes I was riding a bicycle and collided with an oncoming car (silly mistake).
I realise that Morzine is in France but my assertion that it was a Swiss helicopter was based on information received from the travel insurance company, who said (and I can’t be sure which way round it was) that either the French or Swiss worked on a reciprocal basis but that one or other didn’t.
Yes, thank you, I’m fine now, it’s almost a year since the accident. I had a pneumothorax / slight hemothorax, a broken clavicle, scapular and rib. I spent 5 days in hospital in France then on the car journey back to the UK my clavicle moved out of alignment so I went to hospital again in the UK and had a titanium plate and ten screws installed to hold it together, that will probably remain in there now.
SASless, I am not criticizing them for one second, I am very grateful to them.
I merely posted the photo as a reminder that often these crews do work in close proximity to a number of dangers, including wires, and that (as HeliHenri has pointed out) given the number of operations flown in these circumstances it is not inconceivable that rarely a mistake is made.
Anyway the guys who tended to me were brilliant (appeared very casual but consummately professional) and I am not calling into question their judgment or airmanship at all.
My injuries were not life threatening but you can’t be too careful and I was grateful for the helicopter as the road journey would have taken a lot longer and been less comfortable.
I realise that Morzine is in France but my assertion that it was a Swiss helicopter was based on information received from the travel insurance company, who said (and I can’t be sure which way round it was) that either the French or Swiss worked on a reciprocal basis but that one or other didn’t.
Yes, thank you, I’m fine now, it’s almost a year since the accident. I had a pneumothorax / slight hemothorax, a broken clavicle, scapular and rib. I spent 5 days in hospital in France then on the car journey back to the UK my clavicle moved out of alignment so I went to hospital again in the UK and had a titanium plate and ten screws installed to hold it together, that will probably remain in there now.
SASless, I am not criticizing them for one second, I am very grateful to them.
I merely posted the photo as a reminder that often these crews do work in close proximity to a number of dangers, including wires, and that (as HeliHenri has pointed out) given the number of operations flown in these circumstances it is not inconceivable that rarely a mistake is made.
Anyway the guys who tended to me were brilliant (appeared very casual but consummately professional) and I am not calling into question their judgment or airmanship at all.
My injuries were not life threatening but you can’t be too careful and I was grateful for the helicopter as the road journey would have taken a lot longer and been less comfortable.
Last edited by crice; 26th Jul 2012 at 19:00.
