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Drone Collision with helicopter = tail rotor failure

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Drone Collision with helicopter = tail rotor failure

Old 5th Jun 2018, 21:47
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Drone Collision with helicopter = tail rotor failure

"During the Baja 500 while chasing from a helicopter a fellow race team was struck by drone. The helicopters tail rotor started to fail and with quick reactions the pilot was able to safely maneuver the helicopter to the ground without any injuries. Being that the helicopter couldn't fly now we had winch it on to a what normally is a car trailer"

I'm not allowed to embed link hopefully someone else will

Regards

CO
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Old 5th Jun 2018, 21:59
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Last edited by Senior Pilot; 6th Jun 2018 at 00:17. Reason: Fix youtube link
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Old 5th Jun 2018, 22:48
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What would that cost to fix?
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 09:25
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$100k minimum.
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 10:01
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So the helicopter pilot failed to maintain an adequate lookout while chasing cars on the ground in VMC?

How high, how fast, what kind of airspace etc?

PDR
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 10:08
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Originally Posted by PDR1
So the helicopter pilot failed to maintain an adequate lookout while chasing cars on the ground in VMC?

How high, how fast, what kind of airspace etc?

PDR
Surely you’re taking the piss??
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 10:12
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Was the helicopter struck by the drone? So the helicopter was hovering and the drone flew in to it? Unlikely. More like the drone was struck by the helicopter!
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 11:48
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Originally Posted by chopjock
Was the helicopter struck by the drone? So the helicopter was hovering and the drone flew in to it? Unlikely. More like the drone was struck by the helicopter!
......
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 12:30
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Originally Posted by Airbeater350
Surely you’re taking the piss??
I'm just looking at the images and applying my analytical skills (having previously found that hurrumphing bluster is not of much value in accident investigation).

The damage is to the side of the tailboom fairing, the leading edge of the fin and the tail rotor, all indicating that the drone was in front of the helicopter and the direction of collision was from the front. For the damage to have carried on that far down the side of the helicopter the relative velocity must have been quite high - drone large enough to cause that sort of damage don't fly that fast, so it is more likely that the helicopter was flying fast when it hit the drone than it is for the drone to have been flying fast when it hit the helicopter.

The news item suggests that the helicopter was "chasing" a cross-country race car at the time, so presumably it was quite low and almost certainly VFR (ie where it is the pilot's obligation to see and avoid). Had the helicopter been given exclusive use of "sanitised" airspace above thr race or were there other aircraft operating in the area? Had the pilot been explicitly told that there wouled be no other air vehicles operating over the race? Even if he/she had would that absolve the pilot in command of his/her responsibility to see and avoid in VMC?

The drone could just have easly have been a large bird, an ultralight or another helicopter. I don't see any clear-cut case that the drone was in error here. We need to see the details before concluding that this was anything more than a pilot whose sight and brain were not in a piece of airspace before his helicopter got there IMHO.

€0.0005 supplied (YMMV),

PDR
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 12:49
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Hahahaha what a piece of drivel.

Tell us all how the drone can "see and avoid" once again or don't those rules apply to the drone?

Helicopters were there first and UAV's are the new kids on the block - as far as I am aware they are the ones that need the "restricted airspace" and normally do.
How come you never see NOTAMS for helicopters flying around yet the NOTAMS are thick with DROTAMS?

There are reasons for UAV rules that are far more restrictive than for normal aircraft - any driverless cars in Surrey yet or only the one belonging to the village idiot?

PS Baja is in the California Peninsula in Mexico.

Mexican drone laws -

General Mexico Drone Laws

Drone use is allowed in Mexico, but there are several drone laws that need to be followed when flying in the country. Operators must ensure that they follow the following drone laws when flying in Mexico,
  • Do not fly your drone over people or large crowds
  • Respect others privacy when flying your drone
  • Do not fly your drone over airports or in areas where aircraft are operating
  • You must fly during daylight hours and only fly in good weather conditions
  • Do not fly your drone in sensitive areas including government or military facilities. Use of drones or camera drones in these areas are prohibited.
  • Watch for any signs posted around many popular tourist attractions that notify you of “no drone zones”
  • Check with the hotel you will be staying at to see if you can fly it there – many hotels ban drones to ensure their guests have privacy and are not disturbed by drones in the air
  • Flying drones over 2kg requires a permit
  • Try and carry receipts for your drone when carrying it into the country to avoid being charged VAT on the equipment
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 12:54
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Originally Posted by Thomas coupling
$100k minimum.
And I thought they were going to add to that repair bill by the way they were hauling on those forward cross-tubes.
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 13:08
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RVDT posted the gold right there.
Drone operators have an obligation to be just as safe in the skies. Many places have laws for such conduct
Drones inherantly are hard to see, and can move faster than your eyes can pick up on them. All shapes and sizes. from palm sized to small car sized.

The Baja races have been using helicopters for a very long time so I doubt that a drone operator could plead that he did not know he was flying in a known aircraft space.
the reality is with millions of these toys gracing the skies, piloted by numbnuts, the problem will increasingly have serious and tragic results for someone

I thinks that PDR1 has a drone, he has that vibe to his posts.
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 13:29
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I see that anyone who has the temerity to seek facts rather than knee-jerk is immediately accused of being a drone-owner (I'm not) or a village idiot (not that either).

Mods - I take it that Mr RVDT will now get a ban for abusing another member? After all, those are supposed to be the rules aren't they?

PDR
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 13:36
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Those are the facts - which one did I get wrong?
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 15:12
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I’m with RVDT .
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 16:15
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Helicopters were there first and UAV's are the new kids on the block
I seem to recall Airplane folks think that about Helicopters too.....with the same bias.

Drones are damn hard to see....but then so are Birds.....and for some helicopter pilots....Wires, Trees, Masts, Crane Booms, Helicopters, and Airplanes and good old Mother Earth at times.....just saying.
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 17:55
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Who was there first is just being tearfully sentimental. Drones will outnumber helicopters 100:1 if they don’t already. They are cheaper, more efficient and have already started elbowing out helicopters. For helicopters to survive we will need to adapt, concede and coexist. Smell the coffee.
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 18:16
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Drones are damn hard to see....but then so are Birds
At least some of the birds have some semblance of self preservation built in. Birds have sensors - sight and sound. Birds are an increased risk to modern quiet machines. Ask an EC 135 pilot. Drones - not so much.

TCAS requirement for drones anyone? Cant be that hard - they got this far and apparently they are very smart depending on who you talk to.

They are cheaper, more efficient and have already started elbowing out helicopters.
And also dangerous and invasive. If they want to hang with the big dogs they need to be a lot smarter. Let them do the adapting.

Probably won't happen until there is a "major" which is only a matter of time.
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 19:09
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I see someone touched a nerve with a snowflake then....
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Old 6th Jun 2018, 23:38
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Originally Posted by GrayHorizonsHeli
I see someone touched a nerve with a snowflake then....




It's unfortunate that there seems a preponderance of UK based Rotorheads who seem unable to understand that there is a whole world outside the restrictions of the CAA where helicopter drivers can actually operate under their own control!


The Baja 500 is a well known annual event which always has helicopter coverage at low level; drone intrusions cannot always be planned for. Experienced low level film pilots will attest that.
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