HEC - Without Class
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HEC - Without Class
Oh dear - not for the faint-hearted!!
By RUSSELL ANGLIN
[email protected]
A McLean man was killed and another man was hospitalized Tuesday after a helicopter crash in Childress County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
About 4:05 p.m., Childress County sheriff’s deputies received a helicopter accident call 2½ miles northeast of Childress, authorities said.
A Brim Aviation helicopter piloted by Keith Hard, 42, of Butte County, Calif., was hovering about 150 feet above the ground with Jonathan David Suhr, 23, of McLean sitting on a seat suspended 50 feet below the helicopter hanging a roller on a power line, authorities said.
The helicopter lost power and fell, dropping Suhr with it, authorities said. Suhr died at Childress Regional Medical Center as a result of the accident, DPS said.
Hard was taken to Childress Regional Medical Center for back injuries, the DPS said.
Attempts to reach Brim Aviation representatives were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Federal Aviation Administration records show the helicopter was a Hughes 369D rotorcraft registered to Brim Equipment Leasing Inc. out of Ashland, Ore.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will be at the accident site as soon as possible to investigate the crash, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.
“The National Transportation Safety Board will actually take the lead,” Lunsford said. “They are in charge of investigating all fatal aircraft accidents.”
Lunsford said the FAA will aid NTSB in its investigation. Attempts to reach NTSB were unsuccessful Tuesday night.
Online Editor Ricky Treon contributed to this report.
[email protected]
A McLean man was killed and another man was hospitalized Tuesday after a helicopter crash in Childress County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
About 4:05 p.m., Childress County sheriff’s deputies received a helicopter accident call 2½ miles northeast of Childress, authorities said.
A Brim Aviation helicopter piloted by Keith Hard, 42, of Butte County, Calif., was hovering about 150 feet above the ground with Jonathan David Suhr, 23, of McLean sitting on a seat suspended 50 feet below the helicopter hanging a roller on a power line, authorities said.
The helicopter lost power and fell, dropping Suhr with it, authorities said. Suhr died at Childress Regional Medical Center as a result of the accident, DPS said.
Hard was taken to Childress Regional Medical Center for back injuries, the DPS said.
Attempts to reach Brim Aviation representatives were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Federal Aviation Administration records show the helicopter was a Hughes 369D rotorcraft registered to Brim Equipment Leasing Inc. out of Ashland, Ore.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will be at the accident site as soon as possible to investigate the crash, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.
“The National Transportation Safety Board will actually take the lead,” Lunsford said. “They are in charge of investigating all fatal aircraft accidents.”
Lunsford said the FAA will aid NTSB in its investigation. Attempts to reach NTSB were unsuccessful Tuesday night.
Online Editor Ricky Treon contributed to this report.
Darwin at work here
Sad waste of a life.
Sad waste of a life.
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Terrible.
Maybe H500 and NigelH will accept the inherent dangers of the "Dead-Mans" curve now!!!
I just hope these guys realised the risks they were taking doing this. I know they were using H500s to run out lines and carry out live line work!!
NATIONAL GRID were using and AS355N at OEI HOGE Mass.
DB
Maybe H500 and NigelH will accept the inherent dangers of the "Dead-Mans" curve now!!!
I just hope these guys realised the risks they were taking doing this. I know they were using H500s to run out lines and carry out live line work!!
NATIONAL GRID were using and AS355N at OEI HOGE Mass.
DB
At least the guy in the cockpit had a fighting chance (and survived), the poor sod suspended underneath had exactly zero chance of survival if anything went wrong
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HeliHenri - I do not know either. I suspect the "Without class" part means without a Performance Class/Capability, but not sure at all. I presume it is a Single Engine Helicopter involved??
Maybe the original poster can explain.
Maybe the original poster can explain.
The report says a Schweizer 369!
I'm assuming the OP's title is a play on words relating to the performance class (well and truly PC3) and the implicit 'class' of the operation.
I'm assuming the OP's title is a play on words relating to the performance class (well and truly PC3) and the implicit 'class' of the operation.
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It was a 500D
The lineman was being carried as a class B load.
Its legal in the US to do HEC (human exteranl cargo) as class B if it is a trainined crewmember on the line, but not with a passenger.
Actually. A lot of this goes on in the US for powerline work, filming, insertion of police etc. I'd say 10,000+ hours a year.
Has been going on since 1970, though it has greatly incresed since 2006. The is only the second accident, In the first both lived but had serious injuries. It was in the 70's and I cant find the report anymore.
Its legal in the US to do HEC (human exteranl cargo) as class B if it is a trainined crewmember on the line, but not with a passenger.
Actually. A lot of this goes on in the US for powerline work, filming, insertion of police etc. I'd say 10,000+ hours a year.
Has been going on since 1970, though it has greatly incresed since 2006. The is only the second accident, In the first both lived but had serious injuries. It was in the 70's and I cant find the report anymore.
DB
I know the risks of being in the avoid curve, I am afraid accidents happen, I certainly wouldnt want to be in the heli basket 150 ft under a 355N doing line work here in the UK. In the US the guys are normally put on to the line with a 500 rather than hovering with a guy underneath.
So question is DB how often do helicopters come down from engine failure compared to other failures ? A work collegue was killed along with engineer when their 355 had a gearbox seize, Didnt really make much difference in the avoid cuve or not or 2 engines come to that. Same with the tail rotor on a 355 in S wales a few years ago
Interestingly the 369 was in the avoid curve but the pilot was not killed. One would think that with US litigation that having someone dangling on a longline was OTT and insurance companies would not go with it let alone The FAA.resumably FAA think it is safe
I know the risks of being in the avoid curve, I am afraid accidents happen, I certainly wouldnt want to be in the heli basket 150 ft under a 355N doing line work here in the UK. In the US the guys are normally put on to the line with a 500 rather than hovering with a guy underneath.
So question is DB how often do helicopters come down from engine failure compared to other failures ? A work collegue was killed along with engineer when their 355 had a gearbox seize, Didnt really make much difference in the avoid cuve or not or 2 engines come to that. Same with the tail rotor on a 355 in S wales a few years ago
Interestingly the 369 was in the avoid curve but the pilot was not killed. One would think that with US litigation that having someone dangling on a longline was OTT and insurance companies would not go with it let alone The FAA.resumably FAA think it is safe
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Have you no faith in the Egg?
I track such things
Autorotations during powerline work in MD 500 Helicopters 1980-present
All were in the avoid curve, many bonded to the line when they initiated autorotation.
Pilot
Lineman
Serious
Fatal (platform)
MIA99FA158
None
None (Skid)
NYC99LA055
Serious
Fatal (HEC)
Too New
None
2 None (Skid)
LAX99LA245
Serious
1 Serious(front) 1 Fatal(Rear)
SEA07LA135
Minor
Minor (Platfrom)
ATL04LA181
None
Minor (Platfrom)
CHI00FA110
None
Serious (Platform)
CHI96FA099
None
1 None (fron) 1 None (Rear)
MIA93LA055
Serious
1 Serious (front) 1 Serious(Rear)
NYC88LA083
Minor
No Passengers
WPR12LA022
Serious
No Passengers
WRP12LA328
Serious Serious (front) ATSB
Minor Minor (front) Fatal (Platform) ATSB
None None Too New
Notice, in all 15 accidents, no pilots of front seat passengers had fatal injuries
In fact only one fatality was in the aircraft.
Most of the fatal accidents in our industry are wirestrikes, A second engine doesn't help on those. There are also gearbox failures, IIMC and Birdstrikes. You'd also have otherthings to worry about if you used a 355, hyd. failure, etc. Several of the above autos are tail rotor drive / blade failures. Engine failures rank low on the list of causes for fatal accidents. Higher on the list of accidents overal, but they are not very often fatal, even single engine within the HV curve (especially in the 500).
I have been on a longline on our 500s, and would not hesitate to get on again knowing how well our aircraft are maintained.
I think I would rather ride the longline on one of my fellow pilots 500's on a 60' line than take a ride on Grids A-Star in the manbasket. The twin just is just rarly a factor and the grid videos I watched did not give me much comfort. Still, there are a few instances it would have saved lives.
Sorry, the board didnt like my table
I track such things
Autorotations during powerline work in MD 500 Helicopters 1980-present
All were in the avoid curve, many bonded to the line when they initiated autorotation.
Pilot
Lineman
Serious
Fatal (platform)
MIA99FA158
None
None (Skid)
NYC99LA055
Serious
Fatal (HEC)
Too New
None
2 None (Skid)
LAX99LA245
Serious
1 Serious(front) 1 Fatal(Rear)
SEA07LA135
Minor
Minor (Platfrom)
ATL04LA181
None
Minor (Platfrom)
CHI00FA110
None
Serious (Platform)
CHI96FA099
None
1 None (fron) 1 None (Rear)
MIA93LA055
Serious
1 Serious (front) 1 Serious(Rear)
NYC88LA083
Minor
No Passengers
WPR12LA022
Serious
No Passengers
WRP12LA328
Serious Serious (front) ATSB
Minor Minor (front) Fatal (Platform) ATSB
None None Too New
Notice, in all 15 accidents, no pilots of front seat passengers had fatal injuries
In fact only one fatality was in the aircraft.
Most of the fatal accidents in our industry are wirestrikes, A second engine doesn't help on those. There are also gearbox failures, IIMC and Birdstrikes. You'd also have otherthings to worry about if you used a 355, hyd. failure, etc. Several of the above autos are tail rotor drive / blade failures. Engine failures rank low on the list of causes for fatal accidents. Higher on the list of accidents overal, but they are not very often fatal, even single engine within the HV curve (especially in the 500).
I have been on a longline on our 500s, and would not hesitate to get on again knowing how well our aircraft are maintained.
I think I would rather ride the longline on one of my fellow pilots 500's on a 60' line than take a ride on Grids A-Star in the manbasket. The twin just is just rarly a factor and the grid videos I watched did not give me much comfort. Still, there are a few instances it would have saved lives.
Sorry, the board didnt like my table
Last edited by 500guy; 28th Nov 2012 at 22:01.
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500 Guy - Your concept of Safety seems only predicated on whether the flight crew die...or not. I think you are deluding yourself!!
Having said that I wish you luck and stay safe!!!
DB
Having said that I wish you luck and stay safe!!!
DB
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Death is certainly a factor
I was simply pointing out the 500's reputation and statistical history of crashworthyness.
Using a twin isn't an option in the US. No power company will pay 3-4 times as much to do work slower for a small to negligable gain in safety.
When it becomes an option I'll look into it.
Using a twin isn't an option in the US. No power company will pay 3-4 times as much to do work slower for a small to negligable gain in safety.
When it becomes an option I'll look into it.
Avoid imitations
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Twins were mandated in UK for certain types of flight some years ago when the attrition rate for singles became unacceptable, especially so after a few high profile fatal accidents.
At least this levels the playing field for all contractors.
At least this levels the playing field for all contractors.
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Twins
I think if they mandated twins here much of the work would be done from bucket trucks, more off the skid/platfrom and maybe a small percentage would be done with twins. If that happens we will see. I'm sure it will happen eventually.
The attrition rate, as it is here, has been low till recently. The few really ugly ones we did have were wirestrikes and would not have been solved by twins. This one may change things.
The attrition rate, as it is here, has been low till recently. The few really ugly ones we did have were wirestrikes and would not have been solved by twins. This one may change things.
This unfortunate accident has nothing to do with the Avoid Curve. One can minimise time in the avoid curve by having a longer line. This of course does nothing for the person at the bottom of the wire.
Using twin engined aircraft is not necessarily the solution. For one thing, it doubles the chance of an engine failure. Unless one has an aircraft which can operate effectively at a mass which will tolerate an engine failure which will not cause any drop down due to Nr loss while the remaining operative engine spools up then there there is still a significant risk to the "dope on the rope".
Sometimes aerial work is safer using a helicopter with a simple and reliable single engine.
Using twin engined aircraft is not necessarily the solution. For one thing, it doubles the chance of an engine failure. Unless one has an aircraft which can operate effectively at a mass which will tolerate an engine failure which will not cause any drop down due to Nr loss while the remaining operative engine spools up then there there is still a significant risk to the "dope on the rope".
Sometimes aerial work is safer using a helicopter with a simple and reliable single engine.
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Absolutely
There are things you can do in a single engine operation to decrease the chances of an engine failure. We have several of maintance items we do more regularly than required.
Most of the companies doing this work use shorter lines obstructions permitting so the pilot can see clearly what hes doing, 50' and 60' are most common for the 500s and around 100' for the big ships.
In the utility field you live in the avoid curve, you fly 8 hours a day and rarely leave it.
Most of the companies doing this work use shorter lines obstructions permitting so the pilot can see clearly what hes doing, 50' and 60' are most common for the 500s and around 100' for the big ships.
In the utility field you live in the avoid curve, you fly 8 hours a day and rarely leave it.
In India they still allow people to ride on the tops of trains - they lose a few every year but it eases the congestion and prevents the authorities having to do something about it.
Suspending a person underneath a single engine helo to perform maintenance duties just because it is cheaper than a twin (especially one with good OEI performance) comes into the same category.
Can you do it? Sure, easy peasy. Should you do it? Not if you value the lives of the poor sods underneath.
Suspending a person underneath a single engine helo to perform maintenance duties just because it is cheaper than a twin (especially one with good OEI performance) comes into the same category.
Can you do it? Sure, easy peasy. Should you do it? Not if you value the lives of the poor sods underneath.