Video of a fire fighting Z8A helicopter crashing in Yunnan Province, China, 10th May
I did a Transport ground instructor's course with a group of Chinese PLA fighter pilots several years ago. What surprised me was their mentality that if they had a malfunction, whatever it was, they would just turn around and fly home and have somebody else deal with it. Which is well and good, except for those type of malfunctions where pilots need to do pilot stuff here and now. Like what we saw in that video called for.
Originally Posted by [email protected]
The way the yaw rate accelerates and keeps on going would seem to rule out anything but a TR drive failure.
Even just lowering the lever would have probably made it more survivable.
Even just lowering the lever would have probably made it more survivable.
Seeing they go down with appearently no emergency actions what so ever was quite uncomfortable for me. They didnt even jettison the bucket... No training/alertness at all for emergencys?
I think any reduction in the yaw rate in the latter stages means they might have finally chopped the engines or lowered the lever sufficiently - all a bit too late though.
Originally Posted by [email protected]
I think any reduction in the yaw rate in the latter stages means they might have finally chopped the engines or lowered the lever sufficiently - all a bit too late though.
A different company in a different job than the company I spent a decade or so training so I don't know who the pilots were. My crowd have managed to avoid having serious accidents or incidents so far this century.
I must have done something right.
I must have done something right.
M0nkfish - being suddenly spun round when you were not expecting it is disorientating and the g can cause problems with reaching engine controls. That is why it is important to train for TR malfunctions in the sim so your actions are almost pre-determined.
A fire fighting Z8A helicopter
That is why it is important to train for TR malfunctions in the sim so your actions are almost pre-determined.
I can remember (1978) the first Super Frelons for the Chinese Navy lined up in a hangar at Marignane awaiting Washington's clearance so that the Sikorsky componants used in the rotor system could be exported to China. Around the turn of the century the Chinese acquired the licences to produce a copy by themselves.
Should my experience of the Chinese military be of any use initiative and currency are way down the list. Most of the jet jockeys I have met turn in about 70-100 hrs/annum. One of the older helicopter pilots I trained attained 750 hrs in ten years service of which all but 150 hrs were 'training' either initial or as a 2nd pilot.
Consistently on the PLAAF bases I have visited aircraft utilisation follows a pattern. A group of aircraft at the head of the line are flown exclusively until they have a difficult problem. They are then shunted to the bottom to be used as Xmas trees whilst the covers are pulled off the next ones. The company I worked for had a contract to overhaul the PLA recce helicopters but the throughput was unnoticeable.
The regimentation of military life continues into the cockpit. The checklist is only just inferior to Mao and little can be done without reference to it. I spent a lot of time training our offshore pilots to break free from these constraints so it was replaced by situation awareness and most importantly, initiative but keeping within the safe flying boundaries.
安息吧 There was nothing they could do about it.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 14th May 2021 at 09:04.
Just to capture the human side of this, all four crew members perished in this accident, and here is a story about the Commander. Will any accident report be published for this accident?
https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2021-05...YYg/index.html
https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2021-05...YYg/index.html
Just to capture the human side of this, all four crew members perished in this accident, and here is a story about the Commander. Will any accident report be published for this accident?
https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2021-05...YYg/index.html
https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2021-05...YYg/index.html
Have to say the report suggests he was a very experienced pilot, so the apparent failure to act in response to the emergency is very surprising.
Certainly fire fighting is not a rote piloting endeavor afaik, as not much there happens by the book. The article is at pains to point that out as well.
Is there a potential mechanical failure which would produce a similar result?
