AS350 hitting a tree
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 49
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From: Spain
AS350 hitting a tree
Hello all,
just came across this preliminary accident report happened 10 days ago in Spain (link in Spanish):
9 de enero de 2018. Airbus Helicopters AS-350-B3, matrícula EC-JEA. Vall de Ruda (Lleida). REF. A-002/2018 - 2018 - Investigación - CIAIAC - Órganos Colegiados - Ministerio de Fomento
"After the pax where offloaded during heliskying the pilot descended down the valley, performed a high and low recon to a landing spot to identify obstacles. On landing the main rotor blades came in contact with some tree branches."
Blades were removed, tail number and logos taped up and recovered with a 212.
I fail to understand how one blade suffered damage on it's trailing edge and not all three on it's leading edge, how could this happen??
Any thoughts on this are greatly appreciated to understand it.
just came across this preliminary accident report happened 10 days ago in Spain (link in Spanish):
9 de enero de 2018. Airbus Helicopters AS-350-B3, matrícula EC-JEA. Vall de Ruda (Lleida). REF. A-002/2018 - 2018 - Investigación - CIAIAC - Órganos Colegiados - Ministerio de Fomento
"After the pax where offloaded during heliskying the pilot descended down the valley, performed a high and low recon to a landing spot to identify obstacles. On landing the main rotor blades came in contact with some tree branches."
Blades were removed, tail number and logos taped up and recovered with a 212.
I fail to understand how one blade suffered damage on it's trailing edge and not all three on it's leading edge, how could this happen??
Any thoughts on this are greatly appreciated to understand it.
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
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From: Downeast
High power demand...high blade pitch angle....very slow rate of descent or something thrown up into the rotor path. Pretty interesting bit of damage for pine tree limbs I would say as my experience is they are pretty soft.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,886
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From: U.S.A.
A unique operating technique used on the Gazelle was rather than determine the strength of the main rotor blades, we simply avoided the trees. Radical but popular.
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,191
Likes: 26
From: Top of the World
Quote:
Originally Posted by 315B View Post
The rotor blades on the 350 are light weight rubbish like the gazelle. A hughes 500 has stronger blades.
Originally Posted by 315B View Post
The rotor blades on the 350 are light weight rubbish like the gazelle. A hughes 500 has stronger blades.
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: FL 010
Hardly think so....I’ve seen the result of one clothcock peelot do a nose in to the side of a rocky slope only to hit the ground with 2 of three blades, Fvking frightening as he then proceeded to fly 20mins after that, back to base...3 blades replaced & inspections yada yada. Surprising how little the damage was
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 155
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From: Oregon, US
Is it possible that the leading each made contact and bent the blade rearward causing over-stress fractures in the trailing edge which led to further cracking and chunks flying off as he put it down?
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,191
Likes: 26
From: Top of the World
VF, that is exactly what happened with the swiss 350 I alluded to earlier. Only problem was he decided to head back down the mountain with pax on board and after getting down, with home in sight he levelled off from his descent, loading the disc and the blades failed thereafter. Wood cutting with helicopters is the least dangerous activity when compared to drone ingestion and ye' olde wires - cables & high tension.
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,951
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From: After all, what’s more important than proving to someone on the internet that they’re wrong? - Manson
315B sez -
That would be this one then?
Operated in that area for a time. Learnt a lot about "swiss culture".
VF, that is exactly what happened with the swiss 350 I alluded to earlier.
Operated in that area for a time. Learnt a lot about "swiss culture".
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 318
Likes: 1
From: On top of the Longline
Interesting, if it's the same incident that VF & 315B are referring to then it wasn't the main rotor blades which failed, it was the tail rotor driveshaft output. It is not a very good failure analysis but from the evidence they do provide I assume the impact & resultant shock loads through the drive train over torqued the tail rotor driveshaft output.
Supports my opinion that the AS350 MR Blades are pretty tough, can't say the same for the rest of the drive train or cabin though.
Landing without hydraulics is not fun, landing without hydraulics or a tail rotor would definitely present a challenge.
Supports my opinion that the AS350 MR Blades are pretty tough, can't say the same for the rest of the drive train or cabin though.
Landing without hydraulics is not fun, landing without hydraulics or a tail rotor would definitely present a challenge.
