"However I have no wish to detract this thread from a spectacularly fine display from the crew."

To put a helicopter into the water at night and have everybody safe and sound is no small feat, and the crew can be rightfully commended.

For the before and after I'll reserve my compliments for now, since we don't know what really happened and everyone seems to be unusually tight-lipped. Isn't this supposed to be a rumor forum? Where are the rumors?

Was it really a jammed cyclic? Were the engines really oscillating? Did a pilot leave his thick duster novel under the friction clam (happens on the 212/412)? Reminds me of one of our pilots that got an engine out light and horn on a 206, then through force of habit rolled the throttle off and did a spectacular autorotation into a narrow fiord. As the belly sank in the water, one of the passengers yelled "hey the engine is still running". Which it was of course - simple N1 tach failure. We can still commend the pilot for the spectacular autorotation, but the picture gets a little tarnished with a sunk helicopter that didn't have to be.

malabo

The 'story' I heard, from a relatively direct and reliable chain, involved both pilots pulling the cyclic to try and budge it. I think that goes beyond the N1 tacho failure scenario!

Well done to the crew: rather you than me:uhoh:

I posted some photo's of an Alouette 3 on its side in Iran. It had a failure in the hyd system that left the pilot with only fore and aft or lateral cyclic, can't remember which. The helicopter was less than one year old, the pilot walked away uninjured.

This seems to have gone very quiet, very quickly. Does anyone have the skinny on what really happened?

I just read a notice today in my crewroom that they have so far found nothing wrong with the controls.

I have Heard The Airframe is getting scrapped due to being impounded the the Dutch Authoritys and now getting washed and Lubed in time once it was lifted from the water. A great shame nice machine.:D

Anybody know whether they are selling parts for spares?

Jigsaw


I'd leave the seat cushions well alone if I were you;)