Broward County accident...
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Devon
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That looks like a fire causing structural failure. Horrendous. It’s a miracle that anyone involved survived.
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Wonder if they knew the severity of the problem? Dropping it into the first safe space (if there was one) would have been worth the paperwork vs trying to return to base and not making it.
Miracle anyone survived, feel for the unsuspecting folks who had it drop into their home.
All things considered, very lucky all round.
Miracle anyone survived, feel for the unsuspecting folks who had it drop into their home.
All things considered, very lucky all round.
Wonder if they knew the severity of the problem? Dropping it into the first safe space (if there was one) would have been worth the paperwork vs trying to return to base and not making it.
Miracle anyone survived, feel for the unsuspecting folks who had it drop into their home.
All things considered, very lucky all round.
Miracle anyone survived, feel for the unsuspecting folks who had it drop into their home.
All things considered, very lucky all round.
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There's a lot of difference between an engine failure and an uncontained failure with a large fire, which is what it looks like here. The only question I have is whether the pilot could see or otherwise knew the severity of the situation. There's an extended video of this where you can see the chopper flying for well over a minute with an obviously serious fire. Apparently the pilot has survived so he'll be able to answer all those questions.
The fire detectors are mounted in front under the ST/GEN and under the combustion can. If the fire was aft and on the deck quite possible never hit the trigger temps for the detectors. Seems if he had a warning he would have blown the fire bottle or at least commented to ATC is was on fire?
The following 2 users liked this post by wrench1:
Ouch, can you imagine sitting in your home and having a helicopter fall through the roof?

That's just not something you expect on a given day.
Very sorry to learn of the two fatalities.

That's just not something you expect on a given day.
Very sorry to learn of the two fatalities.

The following 10 users liked this post by skadi:
We get myopic from the systems installed and our subsequent training. Fire is only ever engine, occasionally electrical. We think we have lots of time to sort it out.
Was this a 135, does it have a baggage fire warning? Fire location doesn't seem related to engines, though on ATC they say one quit. They got out a mile and turned around, tower didn't see them trailing smoke when they left, so the tail boom fell off within what, 60 seconds of the fire starting?
Food for thought when you're flying those IA crews around with the 212/412 tail boom full of propane and jugs of gas.
Was this a 135, does it have a baggage fire warning? Fire location doesn't seem related to engines, though on ATC they say one quit. They got out a mile and turned around, tower didn't see them trailing smoke when they left, so the tail boom fell off within what, 60 seconds of the fire starting?
Food for thought when you're flying those IA crews around with the 212/412 tail boom full of propane and jugs of gas.
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skadi
EC-135 Crash Worthy Design
The EC-135 a Very Robust Aircraft built to the latest crash worthiness criteria. Those that survived this incident are living proof of this.
Last edited by Jack Carson; 28th Aug 2023 at 20:42.