Helicopter Skydive Close Calls
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https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/Re...=HTML&IType=LA
https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/h...29D96AA5FEB4B5
Included, as part of this investigation is a thirteen second witness video recording of the accident on CD.
Copies can be obtained by contacting our Public Inquiries Branch:
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I don't think I'll be doing that.
https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/h...29D96AA5FEB4B5
Included, as part of this investigation is a thirteen second witness video recording of the accident on CD.
Copies can be obtained by contacting our Public Inquiries Branch:
National Transportation Safety Board
Public Inquiries Branch - RE-51
490 L'Enfant Plaza East, SW
Washington, DC 20594
I don't think I'll be doing that.
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Confession
Originally Posted by [email protected]
I've only ever dropped military skydivers but we made sure any protrusions in the cabin were taped over to prevent snagging hazards.
I've had smoke pulled in the aircraft by an over-enthusiastic jumper but fortunately no canopy problems.
As far as the flying goes it is the sudden change in C of G, particularly lateral, as they leave the aircraft that can catch out the unwary.
I've had smoke pulled in the aircraft by an over-enthusiastic jumper but fortunately no canopy problems.
As far as the flying goes it is the sudden change in C of G, particularly lateral, as they leave the aircraft that can catch out the unwary.
Pre jump brief covered everything that could happen except what did. The Queen of the sky's was on my side that morning.
The bottom line is that you don't have to know anything about the aircraft from which you are jumping and too many jump pilots, that have not had the almost infinite range of mishaps under their belt, assume skydivers won't do something unexpected. I fly, used to skydive in my youth and once you've seen the aftermath of an unintentional canopy opening near an opened door at altitude, you have begin your education. More than a few people have died and caused airplanes to crash by being ripped through the side of a Cessna. I haven't heard of anything going through a tail rotor but that's probably just because helicopters are not ever the everyday jump ships. Be careful out there, other people may not be.
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There is no question that there is a much greater element of risk in these operations. You cannot control the jumpers and fly the aircraft. You have to trust that they will manage themselves and each other. And then there is the "**** happens" factor, and there is just so much more **** that can happen compared to more commonplace op's.
"Protect your pins and handles when moving about the aircraft" is what they train. It is drilled into you. And yet, after not a terribly long career as an active skydiver and jumpmaster, I have seen more than once containers accidentally opened in aircraft. Depending on the severity of the mess, most of the time these jumpers are moved as far from the door as possible and told to ride back with the aircraft. Very rarely I have seen containers reclosed by other jumpers.
The most scared I've ever been was on a Twotter load. I was last out with the last group, which meant I was having fun playing copilot. We sat, respectful of the CG, until the group ahead of us departed and, as we stood up and walked to the rear of the aircraft, I saw someone's pilot chute dragging on the floor behind them. I grabbed that person but he thought I was just taking grips for the exit and actually fought me to the door! At the moment he reached the door I saw the pilot chute flash by and I center punched him right out of the aircraft. Everything cleared the tail, the rest of us had an improvised formation dive, and he took a really long time to come down from 12,000 ft. Nobody had seen what was happening except me, including the dolt with the loose pilot chute.
Protecting pins and handles has to be next-level with helicopters. There is no corner to send someone to, no room to fix their ****, and the large openings are all too close to loose pilot chutes, bridles and canopies.
The opposite of this is, of course, balloons. Send your laundry over the side of the basket if you want
"Protect your pins and handles when moving about the aircraft" is what they train. It is drilled into you. And yet, after not a terribly long career as an active skydiver and jumpmaster, I have seen more than once containers accidentally opened in aircraft. Depending on the severity of the mess, most of the time these jumpers are moved as far from the door as possible and told to ride back with the aircraft. Very rarely I have seen containers reclosed by other jumpers.
The most scared I've ever been was on a Twotter load. I was last out with the last group, which meant I was having fun playing copilot. We sat, respectful of the CG, until the group ahead of us departed and, as we stood up and walked to the rear of the aircraft, I saw someone's pilot chute dragging on the floor behind them. I grabbed that person but he thought I was just taking grips for the exit and actually fought me to the door! At the moment he reached the door I saw the pilot chute flash by and I center punched him right out of the aircraft. Everything cleared the tail, the rest of us had an improvised formation dive, and he took a really long time to come down from 12,000 ft. Nobody had seen what was happening except me, including the dolt with the loose pilot chute.
Protecting pins and handles has to be next-level with helicopters. There is no corner to send someone to, no room to fix their ****, and the large openings are all too close to loose pilot chutes, bridles and canopies.
The opposite of this is, of course, balloons. Send your laundry over the side of the basket if you want
Avoid imitations
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There's also this grizzly incident from way back when at Thruxton:
August 10, 1987ANDOVER, England (AP) _ A woman making her first parachute jump was killed Sunday when she fell into the swirling blades of a helicopter as she was landing, police said.
The helicopter, which had been hovering near the ground, was flipped onto its side by the impact, and the two men inside suffered minor injuries.
The woman, who was not identified, was one of five people from a parachute club taking part in a training drop at Thruxton airfield, near Andover, Hampshire, southwest of London.
″The helicopter was hovering a few feet above the ground when the woman parachuted down,″ said police Inspector John Dawson. ″Near the end of her descent, she went off course and landed on the helicopter.
″We have no idea why she went off course because a trainee before her carried out the exact same jump and landed in the designated area without any problems,″ he said.
In a second parachute accident Sunday, a disabled former paratrooper died when his chute failed to open as he made a sponsored jump for charity.
Adrian Rees, 31, who was partially paralyzed by a sports injury, fell to his death from about 2,000 feet at Langar Aerodrome, near Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, central England.
He had been making the jump to raise funds for fellow students at Portland College for the disabled, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Novice Parachutist Killed in Fall Onto Helicopter Blades
August 10, 1987ANDOVER, England (AP) _ A woman making her first parachute jump was killed Sunday when she fell into the swirling blades of a helicopter as she was landing, police said.The helicopter, which had been hovering near the ground, was flipped onto its side by the impact, and the two men inside suffered minor injuries.
The woman, who was not identified, was one of five people from a parachute club taking part in a training drop at Thruxton airfield, near Andover, Hampshire, southwest of London.
″The helicopter was hovering a few feet above the ground when the woman parachuted down,″ said police Inspector John Dawson. ″Near the end of her descent, she went off course and landed on the helicopter.
″We have no idea why she went off course because a trainee before her carried out the exact same jump and landed in the designated area without any problems,″ he said.
In a second parachute accident Sunday, a disabled former paratrooper died when his chute failed to open as he made a sponsored jump for charity.
Adrian Rees, 31, who was partially paralyzed by a sports injury, fell to his death from about 2,000 feet at Langar Aerodrome, near Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, central England.
He had been making the jump to raise funds for fellow students at Portland College for the disabled, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
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My first trip in a helicopter was in a 500c as an observer in the early 80s on a jump drop at a major skydiving event in Australia. I was young and before my helicopter training. That sowed the seed for my aviation obsession...
Years later I dropped skydivers a few times. First drop as a young CPL-H over western Sydney from an Enstrom. Only 2 skydivers but good briefing by the chief pilot made the job easier. I agree, they (the skydivers) don’t listen, or follow instructions. Being ready to reduce collective and prepare for the roll left when the jumpers left the ship. REALLY important that they didn’t push off. My brief was very clear that they must just “fall” off the skid.
All went well but some 30 years later, that flight is still a clear memory.
Years later I dropped skydivers a few times. First drop as a young CPL-H over western Sydney from an Enstrom. Only 2 skydivers but good briefing by the chief pilot made the job easier. I agree, they (the skydivers) don’t listen, or follow instructions. Being ready to reduce collective and prepare for the roll left when the jumpers left the ship. REALLY important that they didn’t push off. My brief was very clear that they must just “fall” off the skid.
All went well but some 30 years later, that flight is still a clear memory.
Oh, Flyak, you just brought back an awful memory for me.
Similar situation, a rotten old Enstrom, jumping out of western Sydney, and the horrible aircraft would refuse to start after the lads re-packed their chutes between jumps, the engine was still too hot. Only got 2 jumps in that day, it was too long between flights so I got sent home. I was quite happy about this because I hated and detested being in the Enstrom, rattly cheap-looking thing that couldn't even hold height if the turbo got a bit tired. Ptui!
Similar situation, a rotten old Enstrom, jumping out of western Sydney, and the horrible aircraft would refuse to start after the lads re-packed their chutes between jumps, the engine was still too hot. Only got 2 jumps in that day, it was too long between flights so I got sent home. I was quite happy about this because I hated and detested being in the Enstrom, rattly cheap-looking thing that couldn't even hold height if the turbo got a bit tired. Ptui!
Back in the days of the round canopy and front mounted reserve had the reserve pins pop as I moved to the door of a C185, grabbed the canopy before it had a chance to spill from the container, repinned and jumped, but I still wonder the result had it gone out the door as I was sat in the rear left, modified airframe around the door at least, was the days before pilots wore chutes as well.
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Ascend!
You are too hard on the fine beast that is the Enstrom! My flight that day was in an F model I reckon, VH-IPE most likely. They all suffered in summer with not wanting to restart so not really great as a jump platform. Learned a lot of respect for the aircraft over the time though, in A, C and F models. I assume we may have flown the same ships....
You are too hard on the fine beast that is the Enstrom! My flight that day was in an F model I reckon, VH-IPE most likely. They all suffered in summer with not wanting to restart so not really great as a jump platform. Learned a lot of respect for the aircraft over the time though, in A, C and F models. I assume we may have flown the same ships....
