Fatal R-44 crash Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
blakmax - that could only occur if either the rotor mast fractures (or bends a foot and a half backwards) or if the MRGB becomes detached from the main fuselage.
I'm not saying that neither of those things occurred here but they are far less likely than a simple blade strike to produce the results seen in these pictures.
The evidence in the picture of the tail section seems to speak quite clearly for itself.
I'm not saying that neither of those things occurred here but they are far less likely than a simple blade strike to produce the results seen in these pictures.
The evidence in the picture of the tail section seems to speak quite clearly for itself.
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Just to stir the pot on mast movement .... watch this backward auto video .... once the skids touch down you can see the mast and fairing move aft about 5 to 6 inches .... it happens at 0:29 ... play it over several times
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dJTJOlXM24&sns=em
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dJTJOlXM24&sns=em
I don't think it stirs the pot Arnie, this incident was about a mid-air breakup rather than the mast flexing on landing
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Looks like they are talking about a main rotor separation before the tail separation.
Rotor repair work happened before fatal helicopter crash: NTSB
Rotor repair work happened before fatal helicopter crash: NTSB
According to the NTSB’s preliminary report issued this week, the helicopter was registered to Native Range Capture Services Inc., of Elko, Nevada, and was operated by Native Range Inc., of Ventura, California.
The flight was a post-maintenance flight and the helicopter had departed from Skypark Airport in Bountiful minutes before the crash.
Several witnesses told investigators they “heard popping sounds, then saw the main rotor and empennage (tail assembly) separate from the helicopter as the helicopter flew overhead,” the report said.
“Several of the witnesses then saw the helicopter tumble in flight and impact the top of a building,” investigators wrote in the report. “The main rotor blade and empennage impacted the ground a few hundred feet from the impacted building.”
The helicopter’s owner told investigators that mechanics had done maintenance to the main rotor assembly, the NTSB said. The flight was “to check the ’track and balance’ of the main rotor blades,” according to the document.
The flight was a post-maintenance flight and the helicopter had departed from Skypark Airport in Bountiful minutes before the crash.
Several witnesses told investigators they “heard popping sounds, then saw the main rotor and empennage (tail assembly) separate from the helicopter as the helicopter flew overhead,” the report said.
“Several of the witnesses then saw the helicopter tumble in flight and impact the top of a building,” investigators wrote in the report. “The main rotor blade and empennage impacted the ground a few hundred feet from the impacted building.”
The helicopter’s owner told investigators that mechanics had done maintenance to the main rotor assembly, the NTSB said. The flight was “to check the ’track and balance’ of the main rotor blades,” according to the document.
By the time somebody on the ground hears a POP and looks up, the rotor blade has already cut off the tail boom, wobbled around a bit and then had a mast bump from the huge fuselage attitude change after the loss of that mass up the back, separated and fallen away.
Their sequence will be:
hear the POP
look up
see the tail section falling, along with the main blade, fuselage tumbling.
Their sequence will be:
hear the POP
look up
see the tail section falling, along with the main blade, fuselage tumbling.
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One must wonder if the PC Links were Safetied or left just snugged up.
I have done it both ways and always worried if they were not Safetied.
The idea of a PC link becoming disconnected is not something I would want to contemplate.
I have done it both ways and always worried if they were not Safetied.
The idea of a PC link becoming disconnected is not something I would want to contemplate.
