Helicopter burnt out at Barton
Guest
Posts: n/a
Helicopter burnt out at Barton
I'm sorry to report that a helicopter burst into flames last night (Friday) at Barton Aerodrome nr Manchester.
Although the local brigade attended initial reports indicate a total loss with BBC1 ceefax infering that the cause of the fire was "suspicious"
I'll be there tomorrow as usual and will attempt to bring you more info tomorrow night. (Without prejudice to any investigations)
The only good news so far is that there were no reports of injury to any crew or firefighters.
BTW the only other recent helicopter fire I know of also occured at Barton a few years ago. - Strange !
Sir George Caley
The air is a navigable ocean that laps at everyone's door
Although the local brigade attended initial reports indicate a total loss with BBC1 ceefax infering that the cause of the fire was "suspicious"
I'll be there tomorrow as usual and will attempt to bring you more info tomorrow night. (Without prejudice to any investigations)
The only good news so far is that there were no reports of injury to any crew or firefighters.
BTW the only other recent helicopter fire I know of also occured at Barton a few years ago. - Strange !
Sir George Caley
The air is a navigable ocean that laps at everyone's door
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Greater Manchester
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This happened after we (GMP ASU) had departed the airfield to go to a task in Cheshire. On our return we saw the fire engines in the distance and thought we had left the oven on again. Sadly it was the Enstrom. About an hour later another fire was started a short distance away in a reclaimation yard, this time only tyres and rubbish but to add a little spice they put a couple of gas cylinders on. There have been a spat of fires in the local area laterly. To reassure operators at Barton we do check the airfield at night with the thermal camera everytime we take off or land and do have a good relationship with Lancs Aero club and regularly check things for them.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Had a look at the remains of the burnt out helicopter today. It was an Enstrom 280FX.
Damage consists of the cabin area forward of the bulkhead being completly consumed by the fire. One blade shows signs of deformation but the other two appear less affected. The mast is blackened up the front. It still stands on its skids and the tail section apart from smoke discolouration seems OK to my inexpert eye. Perhaps the engine, gear box and tail could be salvaged.
Lying on the grass next to the charred remains of the binnacle is a blue perspex panel about 9" x 6" thats completely unmarked. It looks like a dv panel. Could this have been pulled off prior to the fire?
Tom,
I know its not the end of all things but I feel sorry for the heartache the owner may suffer as a result of their loss.
Sir George Caley
The air is a navigable ocean which laps at everyones door
Damage consists of the cabin area forward of the bulkhead being completly consumed by the fire. One blade shows signs of deformation but the other two appear less affected. The mast is blackened up the front. It still stands on its skids and the tail section apart from smoke discolouration seems OK to my inexpert eye. Perhaps the engine, gear box and tail could be salvaged.
Lying on the grass next to the charred remains of the binnacle is a blue perspex panel about 9" x 6" thats completely unmarked. It looks like a dv panel. Could this have been pulled off prior to the fire?
Tom,
I know its not the end of all things but I feel sorry for the heartache the owner may suffer as a result of their loss.
Sir George Caley
The air is a navigable ocean which laps at everyones door
Helicopter Pilots Get It Up Quicker
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location:
Posts: 885
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In agreement with Sir G C...
It might not be the end of the world but it probably was someones's pride and joy.
Working in the emergency services I know how devasting it is for someone to lose a piece of their life/property.
A bit of sympathy for the owner wouldn't have gone amiss....
Shame we pprune rotorheads/fellow pilots can get hold of this scum and dish out some good old 'clip around the ear' justice.
It might not be the end of the world but it probably was someones's pride and joy.
Working in the emergency services I know how devasting it is for someone to lose a piece of their life/property.
A bit of sympathy for the owner wouldn't have gone amiss....
Shame we pprune rotorheads/fellow pilots can get hold of this scum and dish out some good old 'clip around the ear' justice.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: South of the North Pole
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In short, no. In the very early days of that operation there was an attempt at it at LPL allegedly (so the press release went) because they were being very successful at solving car thefts - some story about high speed night chases if I recall. So after the unsuccessful torch attempt (and they carried a small ding in the fuselage to prove it), various units then surrounded their pads with concrete bollards much akin to the temporary motorway barriers when they do those lovely contraflows.... I'm sure this was also part of the unit's reason to move a couple of years ago from LPL to the military base at Woodvale...
That was truly a few weeks ago .... December 1988!
The aircraft involved was AS355F G-BOOV and this one time leading edge UK police helicopter has just retired from police service in favour of an EC135T G-XMII. If you want 'her' she is now at Oxford with her future a matter of conjecture ... 10,000 hours of mainly police use and a firebombing later ... she is reported to be fairly 'tired'.
BOOV was exhibited at the 1988 Farnborough Show and invited to operate a trial with the Merseyside and Greater Manchester police who were having gang trouble on the roads between the two cities. The short of it is that the experiment was very successful and as a result one gang attacked BOOV on the apron at Liverpool [Speke] - now of course Liverpool John Lennon - with an axe and a fire bomb. Scars that were carried for many years afterwards.
Anyway the operation did not halt and BOOV was back chasing the 'baddies' again in a matter of hours.
Both Merseyside and GMP bought AS355Fs .... with the former choosing to go for that original aircraft. They never changed the standard registration for something snappy and apropriate [the GMP version was G-GMPA] and it would be nice to think that they would have transferred the letter to the new aircraft if they could ..... aaaaah!
The previous post was written at the same time as this so there has been some overlap.
Just to add that my understanding of the move from the airport was that pressures on the growth of the airport disuaded Merseyside from going ahead with their original plans to build there. It would have been difficult to operate as the traffic grew.
The aircraft involved was AS355F G-BOOV and this one time leading edge UK police helicopter has just retired from police service in favour of an EC135T G-XMII. If you want 'her' she is now at Oxford with her future a matter of conjecture ... 10,000 hours of mainly police use and a firebombing later ... she is reported to be fairly 'tired'.
BOOV was exhibited at the 1988 Farnborough Show and invited to operate a trial with the Merseyside and Greater Manchester police who were having gang trouble on the roads between the two cities. The short of it is that the experiment was very successful and as a result one gang attacked BOOV on the apron at Liverpool [Speke] - now of course Liverpool John Lennon - with an axe and a fire bomb. Scars that were carried for many years afterwards.
Anyway the operation did not halt and BOOV was back chasing the 'baddies' again in a matter of hours.
Both Merseyside and GMP bought AS355Fs .... with the former choosing to go for that original aircraft. They never changed the standard registration for something snappy and apropriate [the GMP version was G-GMPA] and it would be nice to think that they would have transferred the letter to the new aircraft if they could ..... aaaaah!
The previous post was written at the same time as this so there has been some overlap.
Just to add that my understanding of the move from the airport was that pressures on the growth of the airport disuaded Merseyside from going ahead with their original plans to build there. It would have been difficult to operate as the traffic grew.
Last edited by PANews; 25th Sep 2002 at 20:15.
It's just a piece of metal - burnt out. As granny said,it is after all an enstrom probably worth about £50 scrap. As long as it's insured, who the hell cares. I found it particularly funny how Si G carefully described the remains...as if it was a murder scene
One of those days, sorry Sir G, can't get overexcited about it. Would you have said the same thing about coming across a burnt out Skoda? The equivalent in the car world - I think not
One of those days, sorry Sir G, can't get overexcited about it. Would you have said the same thing about coming across a burnt out Skoda? The equivalent in the car world - I think not
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Escrick York england
Posts: 1,676
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thomas c
granny
just out of interest how many hours have you had on the enstrom to back up your comments
ive never flown a 135 but speaking to a ex owner that disposed of his after 15 hours said they are rubbish
he only had 15 hrs
steve
granny
just out of interest how many hours have you had on the enstrom to back up your comments
ive never flown a 135 but speaking to a ex owner that disposed of his after 15 hours said they are rubbish
he only had 15 hrs
steve
Helicopter Pilots Get It Up Quicker
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location:
Posts: 885
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well if anyone out there has an unwanted 'Flying Skoda' I and I m sure plenty of others will take it off your hands!
Yes it may be insured but perhaps someone is losing business without it - that isn't usually covered. Nor are the hours of care and attention that its owner may have lavished on it. Or the hours that may have been spent working overtime or scrimping and saving to buy it in the first place...
Yes it may be insured but perhaps someone is losing business without it - that isn't usually covered. Nor are the hours of care and attention that its owner may have lavished on it. Or the hours that may have been spent working overtime or scrimping and saving to buy it in the first place...
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: South of the North Pole
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
XMII = police frequency callsign "Xray Mike One One".
If XMII in Roman numerals was 902 it would be most amusing! However, I make it 992 (M = 1000, X on the left = subtract 10, II on the right = add 2)
If XMII in Roman numerals was 902 it would be most amusing! However, I make it 992 (M = 1000, X on the left = subtract 10, II on the right = add 2)
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Dallas, TX USA
Posts: 739
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually, XMII would be invalid in the Roman numeral system, as only a "C" preceeding the "M" would be allowed to reduce the "10s" place of "M" (1000) to a "9" (900). So CMII would be 902. CMXCII would be 992.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: South of the North Pole
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Go careful on MD600 Driver - he had a series of Enstroms (28s and 480s) before progressing to the MD! But then he must have had a reason to replace the Enstroms when he bought an MD....