Helicopter missing - Mt Disappointment VIC (AU)
That Flightpath data exert indicates XWD got down as low as 2,592' then down to 2,411' whilst the other aircraft WVV stayed around the 3,900' mark.
May be there was a aircraft problem.
Does anyone know what height the mount is?
May be there was a aircraft problem.
Does anyone know what height the mount is?
Has all the hallmarks of scud running and getting it wrong - the other aircraft is 1000' higher and gets through...........nothing much more to say.
Departing the city for Ulupna (as reported), if cloud base was an issue then it is a mystery to me why they chose to go via the hills rather than the Kilmore Gap, only a few miles to the west and pretty much on track. RIP.
.When the Huey first came out accident investigators found the pilot/s at times still strapped in their seats, but located some distance in front of the airframe, having been ejected trough the windscreen in what should have been a survivable accident. Belts at the time were attached at the seat and the seat was letting go from the runners, probably aided by airframe distortion, lap belts were then secured to the airframe, shoulder harness remained attached to the rear and bottom of the seat (inertia reel). Problem solved.
The descent rate in the final 20 seconds of flight appears to be in excess of 4,000fpm if the surveillance data is accurate.
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4000 fpm is basically impossible in free fall, an object would need to be powered to fall that fast. A dropped brick falls at only about 120 mph. I hope my maths hasn't gone too astray!
4000 fpm is basically impossible in free fall
Without going too far OT, the BK117 managed 4,000fpm RoC back in the last century, passenger jets way more than that. RoD for most helicopters would be >2,000fpm in an auto although some come down like the proverbial brick: the Wasp/Scout was 3,500-4,000fpm in a 'normal' auto. 360* autos in a Squirrel can reach the 3,000fpm RoD, too, within the error of FR24 readouts.
Back On topic, the Kilmore Gap sort of made it easier to get through the low cloud around Disappointment and the Macedon Ranges, is it still local knowledge or has the Magenta Line overruled such options? I haven't seen any mention of a mechanical failure, but it can't be discounted until the initial report comes out.
Back On topic, the Kilmore Gap sort of made it easier to get through the low cloud around Disappointment and the Macedon Ranges, is it still local knowledge or has the Magenta Line overruled such options? I haven't seen any mention of a mechanical failure, but it can't be discounted until the initial report comes out.
Unless the debris field is well spread , which might indicate an in-flight break up of some sort, there probably won't be enough left to reach much of a conclusion about mechanical failure.
One story is that the ROC is limited to 2000fpm because if the engine quit, the aircraft would keep going up for a while and by the time the ROD was sufficient to turn the blades in autorotation, the RRPM was too low for it to work.
However, that might be a load of horsefeathers.
However, that might be a load of horsefeathers.
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One story is that the ROC is limited to 2000fpm because if the engine quit, the aircraft would keep going up for a while and by the time the ROD was sufficient to turn the blades in autorotation, the RRPM was too low for it to work.
However, that might be a load of horsefeathers.
However, that might be a load of horsefeathers.