26th July - R44 down, Herne Bay
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Kent
R44 down in Herne Bay Kent
Looks like 4 people all walked away.
Often seen in the sky’s of the Kent coast.
Not posted it’s registration but easy to find.
kentonline.co.uk/herne-bay/news/first-pictures-of-helicopter-crash-near-major-road-231041
Often seen in the sky’s of the Kent coast.
Not posted it’s registration but easy to find.
kentonline.co.uk/herne-bay/news/first-pictures-of-helicopter-crash-near-major-road-231041
Joined: Jan 2003
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 1,361
Likes: 1
From: Near the bottom
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 518
Likes: 50
From: London/Atlanta
More news here,
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-53543513
Helicopter pilot and three passengers escaped serious injury when it was forced to make an emergency landing in a field.
The aircraft toppled on to its side as it came down near Hearne Bay, Kent, at about 10:10 BST.
One man was treated for minor injuries at the scene near Thanet Way, the South East Coast Ambulance Service said
Kent Police said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch had been informed of the crash.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-53543513
Helicopter pilot and three passengers escaped serious injury when it was forced to make an emergency landing in a field.
The aircraft toppled on to its side as it came down near Hearne Bay, Kent, at about 10:10 BST.
One man was treated for minor injuries at the scene near Thanet Way, the South East Coast Ambulance Service said
Kent Police said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch had been informed of the crash.
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 768
Likes: 45
From: Montreal
Joined: Mar 2019
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 252
Likes: 29
From: Europe
The first article quotes "An officer at the scene told our reporter everyone made it out safe and well, but there is concern over fuel left in the aircraft."
Sounds to me like there was at least some fuel left in there.
Sounds to me like there was at least some fuel left in there.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 518
Likes: 50
From: London/Atlanta
I think you will find mjb was referring to something along these lines regarding R44 previous history with post crash fires.
The R44 was found to be prone to post-accident fires due to damage to the aluminum fuel tanks, allowing fuel to leak out. In 2009, the company began installing bladder-type fuel tanks in all new R44 helicopters. It also issued Service Bulletin SB-78 on 20 December 2010, requiring R44 helicopters with all-aluminum fuel tanks to be retrofitted with bladder-type tanks to "improve the R44's fuel system's resistance to a post-accident fuel leak." The company recommended that the change should be done as soon as practical, but no later than 31 December 2014. The compliance date was later moved to 30 April 2013.[19]
An accident investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in March 2013 found, after analyzing historical data, that a significantly higher proportion of R44 aircraft (12%) caught fire after crashing, compared to accidents involving other types of piston-engine helicopters (7%).[20]:7 Preliminary analysis by the ATSB of the NTSB's accident database found a similar statistic, with 15% of accidents in the US involving R44 helicopters having post-crash fires.[20]:7
Heli Air Robinson R44 Raven II arrives for the 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo, EnglandAlthough the data did not consider which type of fuel tanks were fitted, the report mentioned four fatal accidents to the R44 fitted with bladder-type tanks, but as far as they knew, did not involve a post-accident fire. The ATSB recommended that the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) take further action to urge R44 owners to fit bladder-type tanks.[20]:12 The FAA, the governing body in the country of manufacture whose directives would normally be followed in other countries like Australia, had not mandated the retrofit; CASA therefore issued Australian-specific airworthiness directive AD/R44/23, grounding R44 aircraft on 30 April 2013 that had not yet been upgraded
The R44 was found to be prone to post-accident fires due to damage to the aluminum fuel tanks, allowing fuel to leak out. In 2009, the company began installing bladder-type fuel tanks in all new R44 helicopters. It also issued Service Bulletin SB-78 on 20 December 2010, requiring R44 helicopters with all-aluminum fuel tanks to be retrofitted with bladder-type tanks to "improve the R44's fuel system's resistance to a post-accident fuel leak." The company recommended that the change should be done as soon as practical, but no later than 31 December 2014. The compliance date was later moved to 30 April 2013.[19]
An accident investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in March 2013 found, after analyzing historical data, that a significantly higher proportion of R44 aircraft (12%) caught fire after crashing, compared to accidents involving other types of piston-engine helicopters (7%).[20]:7 Preliminary analysis by the ATSB of the NTSB's accident database found a similar statistic, with 15% of accidents in the US involving R44 helicopters having post-crash fires.[20]:7
Heli Air Robinson R44 Raven II arrives for the 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo, EnglandAlthough the data did not consider which type of fuel tanks were fitted, the report mentioned four fatal accidents to the R44 fitted with bladder-type tanks, but as far as they knew, did not involve a post-accident fire. The ATSB recommended that the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) take further action to urge R44 owners to fit bladder-type tanks.[20]:12 The FAA, the governing body in the country of manufacture whose directives would normally be followed in other countries like Australia, had not mandated the retrofit; CASA therefore issued Australian-specific airworthiness directive AD/R44/23, grounding R44 aircraft on 30 April 2013 that had not yet been upgraded
