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R44 Loses tail rotor.
Helicopter Makes Hard Landing At Tulsa International After Losing Tail Rotor - NewsOn6.com
Any more on this news story about a R44 losing the whole tail rotor assembly in flight? http://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/21014793_SA.jpg SkyNews6 took flight Wednesday afternoon after we got word of a chopper down at Tulsa International Airport. When we flew over, we spotted this helicopter. Our pilot, Will Kavanagh, said it appeared the helicopter was missing its tail rotor. There was no other obvious damage, but he could see skid marks on the concrete where the chopper spun around to a stop. Will talked to the control tower, who told him the helicopter was in flight when the tail rotor came off. People on the ground found the tail rotor in a parking lot nearby. The helicopter was owned by Crumpton Aviation. The owner of the company said no one was injured and credited the pilot for being able to maneuver the aircraft to the ground, while avoiding any further damage or injuries. |
Give that man a cigar!
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Give that man a cigar! |
Been teaching tail rotor mals all day! What a true professional bringing this back to earth intact. If ever there was a DFC in civvy street this guy deserves a dozen!
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R44 Loses tail rotor.
Add a bottle or two of single malt to the cigar......and as TC says, a civvie DFC or five.
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Presumably this is an example of the loss of tail rotor effect technique- a steep approach, short hover and just as it starts to rotate, a hovering engine failure/throttle chop cushion to the ground.
I fear I am explaining it poorly but it is a technique I was briefly shown in training and then it seemed to go out of favour. |
Hmmm...
Sure looks like the incident occurred in a hover. I not sure if that is implied when the owner describes the pilot as having "manuevered it to the ground."
Looking at the arc shaped scrapes on the asphalt, I think it went around a full rotation and a half. If that was a touchdown from an autorotation entered at altitude, many praises, but then again, why the significant rotations upon touchdown. If it happened in a hover, good job, but more a matter of being at the proper hover height and holding on. |
Add a bottle or two of single malt to the cigar.. Sure looks like the incident occurred in a hover. I not sure if that is implied when the owner describes the pilot as having "manuevered it to the ground." |
"Hmm.. I think if it happened at hover we would see debris of it nearby and a pretty damaged tail fin."
Well, that photo is not of high enough resolution to zoom in and determine any damage (of which there may be little), the T/R could be in the next time zone, and if any debris was around, it certainly would have been collected and removed from the scene, or it's sitting in the back seat. With nobody lulling about in the pic, this didn't "just" happen. |
Good job keeping that the correct way up!
I'd love to know where it let go... and some high res pictures of the gearbox area and what is left of the tail rotor. |
FAA Preliminary Report out
The Feds say "shortly after liftoff," which i believe means while hovering (as opposed to shortly after departing).
Not sure how to post a link, so apologies for the need to cut & paste, if necessary. http://www.faa.gov/data_research/acc...a/02_276RC.txt |
I'd love to know where it let go |
Its not the first time this happened....................
In Bristows there was once an engineer (quote:- him with the close set eyes and receeding hairline) who's byeword was "No need to check that, I did that". That was until the complete Tail Rotor assy of the Hiller took off across the airfield, all by itself! :O The old, (really old) Bristow hands will know who I'm talking about!;) Tony |
I'd love to know where it came off too. Much of our teaching implies that (in this case) instantaneous removal of approx 7Kg of heavy metal departing the scene from a moment arm about 3m away from C of G would undeniably cause a complete loss of control in pitch by the pilot as the CofG swept rapidly fwd through its limits and the view altered 90 degrees downwards :eek::eek::eek:
It must have been in the hover surely?? If this was the case, can I take back half of the DFC's previously awarded?:oh: |
A few years ago, an experienced pilot in New Zealand was able to land his R44 after it lost its TR gearbox in flight due to FOD. See page 3 of this Robinson Newsletter:
http://www.robinsonheli.com/media/ne...008_summer.pdf |
DFC's previously awarded |
Is it possible the pilot was in the hover and clipped the fence with the tail rotor, shut the throttle and cushioned the landing?
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DFC's previously mentioned
Here you go Dave here ,
Distinguished Warfare Medal, the perfect definition, I could think of a couple of 'cyber warrior' names right now if you like? But then i can be a proper cheeky sod at times too, like yer mate down the road. Cheers tet. |
Tc
but what I will say is anyone who successfully lands a helo after a tail rotor Failure deserves atleast a Distinguished Warfare Medal |
C'mon then chopjock - let's hear it.....................
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