Helicopter down in East River, NYC
You can buy this type of harness at a big box store. But people should absolutely not be tethered during landing and takeoff when they're belted in anyway.
But of course that means you have to have a crewmember to clip in and unclip passengers when leaving and returning to their seats which reduces revenue and requires another salary.
Offshore oil crews wear goon suits and get dunker training, but naïve passengers don't
But of course that means you have to have a crewmember to clip in and unclip passengers when leaving and returning to their seats which reduces revenue and requires another salary.
Offshore oil crews wear goon suits and get dunker training, but naïve passengers don't
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S012 Aircrew Safety Harness
This was originally developed as a Camerapersons Harness for media personnel filming from helicopters. It was later modified to incorporate a 3-ring quick release into the rear attachment strap that is activated from a pillow handle at the front. (The 3-ring is widely used on sport parachutes to release the main parachute in an emergency.)
This S012 is popular with Air Dispatchers, Helicopter Winch Operators and others who, during flight, are close to an open hatch.
The S012 has been tested to Australian Standard AS 1891:1983 and approved by CASA under the provisions of CAR (1998) 21.305A. Application to an individual aircraft requires separate approval. Not approved for take off or landing.
This was originally developed as a Camerapersons Harness for media personnel filming from helicopters. It was later modified to incorporate a 3-ring quick release into the rear attachment strap that is activated from a pillow handle at the front. (The 3-ring is widely used on sport parachutes to release the main parachute in an emergency.)
This S012 is popular with Air Dispatchers, Helicopter Winch Operators and others who, during flight, are close to an open hatch.
The S012 has been tested to Australian Standard AS 1891:1983 and approved by CASA under the provisions of CAR (1998) 21.305A. Application to an individual aircraft requires separate approval. Not approved for take off or landing.
The elephant in the room is the FAA. They either approved this tether system, or did not monitor this operation since they openly advertised the use of the system. Should be interesting.
The three ring release has been around for many years and is about the best there is for loads under tension being released. HOWEVER, it is not as fast if there is no tension on it and I can imagine in the shamble of a rollover accident something getting pressed up against it or stuck in it that would keep it from releasing. I have also seen on exactly two occasions where an experienced person misassembled the riser halves by slipping both smaller rings rings through the large ring ( in a bit of a hurry) and inserting the teflon coated ripcord through the loop. In that case the more load it is under, the harder it is to pull and can actually prevent a cutaway from happening. Other jumpers spotted the misrouting while going to altitude, these were all experienced people. I suggest that nobody less than a qualified professional film crew needs to have their feet in an open door for a helicopter ride. Yes, it is an E ticket, big fun thing to do but considering the real risk of over water flights without everyone having a HEEDs device on their harness it should be banned. Stop trying to make it safe for the public because it is inherently more dangerous than they know.
Follows a post I made in March 2017 concerning personal experience with helicopter accidents, harness/seatbelt releases, and photography.
Dear Vertical Freedom,
You definitely put the WOW in your pilotage and photographic skills! I garnered four hours of PIC time in an Evergreen Bell 206 Long Ranger way back in 1978. (I had accumulated 760 hours in Cessna 152's, 172's, 185's, and 320's at the time.) I could hover, barely...
One Sunday my friend/instructor called to see if I would like to bring my then-wife, son, and friend along for a sight seeing pleasure flight in the chopper. We spent nearly an hour doing maneuvers and low-level, high-speed runs over marshland and ocean. We requested and were granted landing permission at KSSI (St. Simons Island) when we were three minutes out at 3,000' MSL. My so-called friend came on the intercom and said "Watch this!" I recall, in slow motion, his reaching out from the right seat to cycle the emergency fuel cut-off switch. The annunciator panel went from green to orange to red. We were going to auto-rotate and were too low to get a relight/restart. I turned around and told my wife, son, and friend (who was busy shooting 3 frames/second with his Nikon) to Brace-Brace-Brace.
We flared 50' too soon and went down on the beach. Airspeed was indicated at 60 kts. and the VSI was pegged full down. Our skids dug into the sand, we tipped forward, and the main rotors made a clean decapitation of the boom. My wife grabbed our 8-year-old son and exited beneath the still-rotating main, which fluffed her hair. Had she been an inch taller - curtains! I fumbled frantically and finally released my five-point harness and exited stage left.
We walked about a quarter mile up the beach on Sea Island and encountered four gentlemen who were leaning out of a porch on the third floor of a condominium. They yelled "Hey! Did you see that helicopter go down? It was smoking and going too fast!" I responded "Yeah! We were in it!" "Do you want a drink?", they asked. Moments later, four gentlemen from Atlanta hugged us and motioned to a table upon which were half-gallons of every alcoholic beverage known to modern man. I grabbed a bottle and glugged. Our "pilot", replete in the knowledge that the FAA would be around soon, did not partake. My wife, who worked for the Sea Island Company, commandeered one of their limousines and took our son home. Our friend still has photos of the entire episode.
All by way of saying Thank You for bringing the joy of High Flight back to me. I have been afraid all these years and now am not. I owe a debt of gratitude to he who understands the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake, a kind and beautiful Bride, and the miracle of Himalayan Mountain Highs.
- Ed
Dear Vertical Freedom,
You definitely put the WOW in your pilotage and photographic skills! I garnered four hours of PIC time in an Evergreen Bell 206 Long Ranger way back in 1978. (I had accumulated 760 hours in Cessna 152's, 172's, 185's, and 320's at the time.) I could hover, barely...
One Sunday my friend/instructor called to see if I would like to bring my then-wife, son, and friend along for a sight seeing pleasure flight in the chopper. We spent nearly an hour doing maneuvers and low-level, high-speed runs over marshland and ocean. We requested and were granted landing permission at KSSI (St. Simons Island) when we were three minutes out at 3,000' MSL. My so-called friend came on the intercom and said "Watch this!" I recall, in slow motion, his reaching out from the right seat to cycle the emergency fuel cut-off switch. The annunciator panel went from green to orange to red. We were going to auto-rotate and were too low to get a relight/restart. I turned around and told my wife, son, and friend (who was busy shooting 3 frames/second with his Nikon) to Brace-Brace-Brace.
We flared 50' too soon and went down on the beach. Airspeed was indicated at 60 kts. and the VSI was pegged full down. Our skids dug into the sand, we tipped forward, and the main rotors made a clean decapitation of the boom. My wife grabbed our 8-year-old son and exited beneath the still-rotating main, which fluffed her hair. Had she been an inch taller - curtains! I fumbled frantically and finally released my five-point harness and exited stage left.
We walked about a quarter mile up the beach on Sea Island and encountered four gentlemen who were leaning out of a porch on the third floor of a condominium. They yelled "Hey! Did you see that helicopter go down? It was smoking and going too fast!" I responded "Yeah! We were in it!" "Do you want a drink?", they asked. Moments later, four gentlemen from Atlanta hugged us and motioned to a table upon which were half-gallons of every alcoholic beverage known to modern man. I grabbed a bottle and glugged. Our "pilot", replete in the knowledge that the FAA would be around soon, did not partake. My wife, who worked for the Sea Island Company, commandeered one of their limousines and took our son home. Our friend still has photos of the entire episode.
All by way of saying Thank You for bringing the joy of High Flight back to me. I have been afraid all these years and now am not. I owe a debt of gratitude to he who understands the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake, a kind and beautiful Bride, and the miracle of Himalayan Mountain Highs.
- Ed
The rules say nothing about once airborne.
14 CFR 91.107 Use of seat belts
Highlight added by me:
Sec. 91.107
Use of safety belts, shoulder harnesses, and child restraint systems.
(a) Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator--
(1) No pilot may take off a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola, or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) unless the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board is briefed on how to fasten and unfasten that person's safety belt and, if installed, shoulder harness.
(2) No pilot may cause to be moved on the surface, take off, or land a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola, or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) unless the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board has been notified to fasten his or her safety belt and, if installed, his or her shoulder harness.
(3) Except as provided in this paragraph, each person on board a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) must occupy an approved seat or berth with a safety belt and, if installed, shoulder harness, properly secured about him or her during movement on the surface, takeoff, and landing.
Last edited by Gordy; 14th Mar 2018 at 00:51.
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NTSB update on the investigation:
https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-rele...R20180313.aspx
UPDATE: NTSB Investigation of New York City Helicopter Crash
3/13/2018
NEW YORK (March 13, 2018)—The National Transportation Safety Board continued its investigation Tuesday into the March 11, 2018 crash of an Airbus Helicopters AS350B2 (N350LH) into New York’s East River.
The helicopter was substantially damaged when it impacted the river and subsequently rolled inverted during an autorotation, killing five passengers and injuring the pilot.
The pilot had contacted the LaGuardia Airport air traffic control tower for entry into the Class B airspace while flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet. Approximately five minutes later, the pilot declared “Mayday” and stated that the helicopter’s engine had failed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the scheduled 30-minute aerial photography flight that was operated by Liberty Helicopters under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from Helo Kearny Heliport (65NJ), Kearny, New Jersey.
Parties to the NTSB investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, Liberty Helicopters and the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile (BEA France). Airbus Helicopters and Safran Helicopter Engines are technical advisors to the investigation.
Significant activities today included:
Physical examination of the accident helicopter at New York Police Department’s Aviation Unit headquarters in Brooklyn by airworthiness, powerplant, and survival factors investigator
Engine was prepared for removal and teardown
Helicopter structure and systems examined by airworthiness investigators.
Rotor and flight control systems examination initiated
Survival factors investigators examined and documented passenger restraint system
Investigators interviewed Liberty Helicopters’ chief pilot
Interviewed witnesses and rescue personnel
Interview with accident pilot to be scheduled
NTSB’s Transportation Disaster Assistance team consulted with NYPD regarding personal effects
Recovered electronic devices, including a Go-Pro camera, which is being sent to the NTSB laboratories in Washington for readout
Recovered Appareo Vision 1000 from helicopter. Unit and memory card were placed in water for transport to NTSB laboratories. The Vision 100 could provide data on pitch, roll, and yaw as well as position, vertical speed, ground speed and altitude and ambient sound
Imagery of the ongoing NTSB investigation are available at the NTSB's Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/ntsb/ and video is available at the NTSB's YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/NTSBgov.
3/13/2018
NEW YORK (March 13, 2018)—The National Transportation Safety Board continued its investigation Tuesday into the March 11, 2018 crash of an Airbus Helicopters AS350B2 (N350LH) into New York’s East River.
The helicopter was substantially damaged when it impacted the river and subsequently rolled inverted during an autorotation, killing five passengers and injuring the pilot.
The pilot had contacted the LaGuardia Airport air traffic control tower for entry into the Class B airspace while flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet. Approximately five minutes later, the pilot declared “Mayday” and stated that the helicopter’s engine had failed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the scheduled 30-minute aerial photography flight that was operated by Liberty Helicopters under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from Helo Kearny Heliport (65NJ), Kearny, New Jersey.
Parties to the NTSB investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, Liberty Helicopters and the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile (BEA France). Airbus Helicopters and Safran Helicopter Engines are technical advisors to the investigation.
Significant activities today included:
Physical examination of the accident helicopter at New York Police Department’s Aviation Unit headquarters in Brooklyn by airworthiness, powerplant, and survival factors investigator
Engine was prepared for removal and teardown
Helicopter structure and systems examined by airworthiness investigators.
Rotor and flight control systems examination initiated
Survival factors investigators examined and documented passenger restraint system
Investigators interviewed Liberty Helicopters’ chief pilot
Interviewed witnesses and rescue personnel
Interview with accident pilot to be scheduled
NTSB’s Transportation Disaster Assistance team consulted with NYPD regarding personal effects
Recovered electronic devices, including a Go-Pro camera, which is being sent to the NTSB laboratories in Washington for readout
Recovered Appareo Vision 1000 from helicopter. Unit and memory card were placed in water for transport to NTSB laboratories. The Vision 100 could provide data on pitch, roll, and yaw as well as position, vertical speed, ground speed and altitude and ambient sound
Imagery of the ongoing NTSB investigation are available at the NTSB's Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/ntsb/ and video is available at the NTSB's YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/NTSBgov.
I have a curiosity to see the footage recovered. But i also have a gut wrenching feeling that it would show more than I would
want to see. I respect those that have to endure that.
want to see. I respect those that have to endure that.
The FAA only requires you to wear your seat belt for take off and landing. It is my understanding looking at all the videos and dialog that standard seat belts were worn during take off and I assume landing. Once airborne, they can take those off, and there is no further requirement until landing, therefore the harnesses are a bonus and do not need to be approved as I am guessing they are attached to he hard points on the floor.
The rules say nothing about once airborne.
14 CFR 91.107 Use of seat belts
Highlight added by me:
Sec. 91.107
Use of safety belts, shoulder harnesses, and child restraint systems.
(a) Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator--
(1) No pilot may take off a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola, or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) unless the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board is briefed on how to fasten and unfasten that person's safety belt and, if installed, shoulder harness.
(2) No pilot may cause to be moved on the surface, take off, or land a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola, or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) unless the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board has been notified to fasten his or her safety belt and, if installed, his or her shoulder harness.
(3) Except as provided in this paragraph, each person on board a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) must occupy an approved seat or berth with a safety belt and, if installed, shoulder harness, properly secured about him or her during movement on the surface, takeoff, and landing.
The rules say nothing about once airborne.
14 CFR 91.107 Use of seat belts
Highlight added by me:
Sec. 91.107
Use of safety belts, shoulder harnesses, and child restraint systems.
(a) Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator--
(1) No pilot may take off a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola, or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) unless the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board is briefed on how to fasten and unfasten that person's safety belt and, if installed, shoulder harness.
(2) No pilot may cause to be moved on the surface, take off, or land a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola, or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) unless the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board has been notified to fasten his or her safety belt and, if installed, his or her shoulder harness.
(3) Except as provided in this paragraph, each person on board a U.S.-registered civil aircraft(except a free balloon that incorporates a basket or gondola or an airship type certificated before November 2, 1987) must occupy an approved seat or berth with a safety belt and, if installed, shoulder harness, properly secured about him or her during movement on the surface, takeoff, and landing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/n...harnesses.html
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The whole harness/photo journalists designation of the passengers is a workaround so they can fly. The passengers shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
Do you really think they truly understood the risks involved?
This is one of those cases of skirting the regs where it’s not a problem until there’s crash.
Do you really think they truly understood the risks involved?
This is one of those cases of skirting the regs where it’s not a problem until there’s crash.
Still, having said that, I was just in Las Vegas for the Heli Expo, there was still H130's flying charter circuits until midnight! WTF?
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Oh, and this is ok too? I give up.
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There's a great deal of debate about passenger harnesses but surely more relevant is the cause of the aircraft entering the water in the first place and why it rolled inverted after touching down.
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The harness topic, is one of those things that came directly into my mind from last year. We had the Swiss Helicopter Championship in precision flying. I was hooked up to a fixed harness. No way to unscrew it myself.
Being as well member of the board for the Swiss Helicopter Federation, the safety for our helicopter ops is our utmost concern. We got our yearly assembly end of April. If we can issue certain learning, recommendations to the Heli OP in Switzerland, this will be great.
Helicopters will always find ways to end in the drink upside down. People need to have a chance to egress. On land a situation with a fire on board after a mishap would have been equally horrendous.
No way such harnesses without any quick release by the person wearing it should be allowed anywhere and for anyone in helicopters.
Yes it is highly questionable if such feet on skids operations should be allowed for tourists. That said, if it were professional photographers, the result would have been exactly the same.
If they had proper HUET: With that harness in question very likely still same result.
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So TC, how does a twin go when the fuel cut off is flicked?
I thought that two engines going silent went down as quick as one engine going silent.
And because its one of these super safe twins, that never hits buildings and never hits the water with TWO professional pilots onboard, it also has No floats, so sinks even quicker...
I thought that two engines going silent went down as quick as one engine going silent.
And because its one of these super safe twins, that never hits buildings and never hits the water with TWO professional pilots onboard, it also has No floats, so sinks even quicker...
But you would have to hit 2 fuel shut offs rather than one which is possible but less likely.
The way that these threads go off on a tangent is always interesting; it is speculation at the moment whether the fuel cut off was activated, or whether the FCL was pulled back, or even if there was another cause of engine failure. It has been confirmed that no personal items are allowed on board with doors off except the cameras, yet there is speculation about pax bags snagging or hindering their escape. Whatever the cause, the issue of anchoring pax into the machine with no apparent means of releasing their harness except by using a knife is demented.
Further links to the CASA oversight of crewmans harness here;
https://www.casa.gov.au/file/159631/...token=49D8J-oM
https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/g/file.../atsoc1003.pdf
Hopefully other jurisdictions can learn from this.
Further links to the CASA oversight of crewmans harness here;
https://www.casa.gov.au/file/159631/...token=49D8J-oM
https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/g/file.../atsoc1003.pdf
Hopefully other jurisdictions can learn from this.