Pax walks into the tail rotor while going to take a selfie
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: Texas
The correct side to board is in the direction the pilot indicates. That means, of course, that one establishes visual contact with the pilot and watch for a signal. If there's ground crew escorting, directing the boarding follow their instruction.
You only have to be wrong once...
You only have to be wrong once...
My other thought on this boils down to "...: life's hard, but it's harder if you're stupid"
As most pilots know, one moment of stupidity can kill you.
Also brings to mind some advice from a maintenance chief when I was first on an aircraft carrier:
When walking near helicopters or other aircraft with their engines turning, keep your head on a swivel.
Joined: Jun 2016
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From: Brantisvogan
At least you've had your daily dose of offence. With a little more exposure you may even build up a resistance and be able to calmly go about your own business ignoring things you don't like.
Modern science has shown that being offended leaves no permanent injury and is rarely fatal.
Spare a thought for the pilot, who will have to live with this experience, and for little else than a phone obsession.
If there is something to be annoyed about, that would be it.
Modern science has shown that being offended leaves no permanent injury and is rarely fatal.
Spare a thought for the pilot, who will have to live with this experience, and for little else than a phone obsession.
If there is something to be annoyed about, that would be it.
Joined: May 2002
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From: Downeast
Not quite accurate.
Other factors add to what is the "correct" direction and method.
Alpine Rescue operators make some pretty interesting Toe In Landings for example.
Or say a Chinook doing the opposite......
Other factors add to what is the "correct" direction and method.
Alpine Rescue operators make some pretty interesting Toe In Landings for example.
Or say a Chinook doing the opposite......
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Australia
It was a bit callous ET. While I don’t tend to feel sorry for real darwinians a tail rotor is a bit insidious and people just do not realise how much so. T/R’s have got enough experienced crew that know the dangers so it is not fair to expect a member of the public to understand.
Rotors turning pax change need ground crew to supervise otherwise shut down.
Rotors turning pax change need ground crew to supervise otherwise shut down.
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From: Brantisvogan
It was a bit callous ET. While I don’t tend to feel sorry for real darwinians a tail rotor is a bit insidious and people just do not realise how much so. T/R’s have got enough experienced crew that know the dangers so it is not fair to expect a member of the public to understand.
Rotors turning pax change need ground crew to supervise otherwise shut down.
Rotors turning pax change need ground crew to supervise otherwise shut down.
There are some videos involving electioneering which will amaze you, yet no fatalities.
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Out there
It was a bit callous ET. While I don’t tend to feel sorry for real darwinians a tail rotor is a bit insidious and people just do not realise how much so. T/R’s have got enough experienced crew that know the dangers so it is not fair to expect a member of the public to understand.
Rotors turning pax change need ground crew to supervise otherwise shut down.
Rotors turning pax change need ground crew to supervise otherwise shut down.
I have not a shred of sympathy for the individual. The people I feel for are the pilot, the operator and the emergency services team that have to deal with the aftermath.
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Aus
Posting the video because of the lessons it may provide, my take away is inadequate control of personages on the pad, not evident here, pilot doesn't, and can't, have control of what is going on outside his running helo.
Joined: Oct 2019
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From: USA
It looks like he was paying attention, ducking down under the tail cone tip, and did not see the tail rotor or realized too late. I can see his knees buckle before the tail rotor impacts him.
Possibly he was around small planes just enough and was told to never go around the nose, regardless of the reason.
With this photo as an example, there would be nearly none of the tail rotor disk visible from the direction of the deceased and it would be almost entirely hidden on the walk back there:
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10761473
Am I right that the tail rotor primarily pushes air to the port side and so would not have blown air at the deceased?
Possibly he was around small planes just enough and was told to never go around the nose, regardless of the reason.
With this photo as an example, there would be nearly none of the tail rotor disk visible from the direction of the deceased and it would be almost entirely hidden on the walk back there:
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10761473
Am I right that the tail rotor primarily pushes air to the port side and so would not have blown air at the deceased?
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From: Over the rainbow
As a stupid passenger can someone explain why the helicopter isn't shut down for boarding?
I've only flown on a helicopter once but it was shutdown for boarding and egressing the aircraft. Egressing even more important because the elation of a flight makes you even stupider.
It's not for the passenger to be expected to be competent around a live aircraft, that's where the operator and crew come in.
I've only flown on a helicopter once but it was shutdown for boarding and egressing the aircraft. Egressing even more important because the elation of a flight makes you even stupider.
It's not for the passenger to be expected to be competent around a live aircraft, that's where the operator and crew come in.
Joined: Sep 2011
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From: USA
Shutting down in remote areas without ground support is often a no no. Bad starter or weak battery and you could be stuck, especially for HAA guys landing on highways. You'd want to be ready for a quick load too.
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From: Den Haag
Indeed however, taking yourself out of the gene pool taking a selfie is not one of those situations.
I have not a shred of sympathy for the individual. The people I feel for are the pilot, the operator and the emergency services team that have to deal with the aftermath.
I have not a shred of sympathy for the individual. The people I feel for are the pilot, the operator and the emergency services team that have to deal with the aftermath.
Joined: Jun 2016
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From: Brantisvogan
No one said he was taking one at that exact moment.
Avoid imitations
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From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 1,083
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
I’ve experienced helicopter passengers (both military and civilian)doing illogical and very dangerous things, despite having been warned about the specific dangers and the correct procedures in a pre flight brief. Years ago, on being dined out from my first helicopter tour (Army Support, in RAF Germany) and being required to make some sort of a formal speech I remember making comment that I’d spent much of my time over the previous four years training troops to embark and disembark safely (would have been many hundreds) yet every time we picked up or dropped off someone was likely to have brain fade and either forget or ignore the safety brief given only a short time before, sometimes putting themselves in danger.
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Den Haag
Definitely NOT so with all types of helicopter. For example, approaching from the front of an SK76 is extremely dangerous because of the low height of the turning rotors and the only safe approach is from the side. Similarly with a Chinook, where the safest place is to the rear.
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: After all, what’s more important than proving to someone on the internet that they’re wrong? - Manson
It seems that the environment around helicopters for the unaware can lead to brain overload and subsequent dysfunction.
Noise, expectation, excitement, uncertainty / fear, proximity to large fast rotating parts, exhaust gas smells, dust etc etc seems to overload normally sane people.
You can lecture them until you are blue in the face, but you just can't trust that any of it has been taken in.
Maybe pax need to be told that they will probably lose the plot? All ground crew I have worked with have been warned to treat all pax as sheep regardless of who they are as they will do dumb !!!! in a millisecond as they are basically unconscious.
If you have the slightest uncertainty or any reservation about the experience of the pax - shut down and remember it applies whether loading or unloading .
Noise, expectation, excitement, uncertainty / fear, proximity to large fast rotating parts, exhaust gas smells, dust etc etc seems to overload normally sane people.
You can lecture them until you are blue in the face, but you just can't trust that any of it has been taken in.
Maybe pax need to be told that they will probably lose the plot? All ground crew I have worked with have been warned to treat all pax as sheep regardless of who they are as they will do dumb !!!! in a millisecond as they are basically unconscious.
If you have the slightest uncertainty or any reservation about the experience of the pax - shut down and remember it applies whether loading or unloading .
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Pensacola, Florida
In 1982 or so, when I was a mere lineboy, I witnessed a man walk into the tail rotor of a Bell 222 at the E60th Street Heliport in NYC. This, despite the fact that there were *two* customer service reps loading the pax and their hand luggage. It was a very gruesome death. At the time, Pan American Airlines was running a "free" shuttle service from Manhattan to JFK for their First Class passengers. It was ostensibly a FAR Part-91 operation, and Pan Am didn't want to bother the pax with trivial things like safety briefings. That obviously changed.
Then one day in the late 1980's (when I was then an actual pilot) another pilot and I were in a 206, flying Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall into the city, again landing at E60th Street. He and she had been given the standard Part-135 briefing....in the ship, while it was running, of course. We landed and pointed the ship directly at Operations so they had the most direct path. With the other pilot holding the controls, I hopped out. But simultaneously, Mick hopped out of the left-rear seat and started walking back and I mean right toward the tail rotor. I grabbed him by his boney little shoulders and redirected him to the front. That was the day Mick Jagger almost died.
It's true that people act stupid around helicopters. The excitement of helicopter flying, plus the cacophony of noise from the engine and rotor blades seems to disorient them. In a perfect world, we'd all just shut down for loading and unloading. In the real world, pax are never patient enough to wait for the engine(s) and rotor to stop turning.
Then one day in the late 1980's (when I was then an actual pilot) another pilot and I were in a 206, flying Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall into the city, again landing at E60th Street. He and she had been given the standard Part-135 briefing....in the ship, while it was running, of course. We landed and pointed the ship directly at Operations so they had the most direct path. With the other pilot holding the controls, I hopped out. But simultaneously, Mick hopped out of the left-rear seat and started walking back and I mean right toward the tail rotor. I grabbed him by his boney little shoulders and redirected him to the front. That was the day Mick Jagger almost died.
It's true that people act stupid around helicopters. The excitement of helicopter flying, plus the cacophony of noise from the engine and rotor blades seems to disorient them. In a perfect world, we'd all just shut down for loading and unloading. In the real world, pax are never patient enough to wait for the engine(s) and rotor to stop turning.
