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Four people have been killed in a helicopter crash at Bulli Tops in Wollongong’s northern suburbs.
Police, paramedics and firefighters are heading to Panorama House where the helicopter crashed just after midday.
A NSW Ambulance spokesman would only say there were "multiple" fatalities, however Fairfax Media understands four people have died.
Panorama House is a function centre set on a cliff overlooking the Illawarra, and is a popular wedding location.

The chopper that crashed is believed to have been carrying a wedding party. One of those killed is believed to be a child.
The helicopter burst into flames when it crashed into a grassed clearing outside Panorama House, police said.
There are no survivors.
A crime scene has been set up at Panorama House and police have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Robinson R44 helicopter is registered to Bankstown Helicopters.
A spokeswoman at the company's headquarters said no one was immediately available for comment.
Bulli man Norm Upton was driving home from Sydney when he saw the helicopter engulfed in flames.

He told the Illawarra Mercury he was travelling south along Mount Ousley and saw the helicopter on its side.

‘‘I was about 200 yards away and I saw people running around,’’ he said.

‘‘It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to see on my way back.’’
Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.

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FOUR people have been killed in a helicopter crash south of Sydney just after midday today.
Police have confirmed four adults have been killed in a chopper crash at Bulli Tops, correcting earlier reports that a child was among those killed.
The helicopter crashed into a grassy clearing adjacent to Panorama House - a popular wedding and function centre located on the cliffs at Bulli Tops.
Acting Superintendent Tim Beattie said disaster victims experts will be brought in to identify the bodies in the burnt out wreck.
"It's an horrific scene...this helicopter appears to have collided heavily with the ground," Supt Beattie said.
The helicopter exploded into flames during the crash and was lying on its right side, facing east, with a tarpaulin covering the charred cabin.
The tail rotor blade and stabiliser became detached and were found lying next to the helicopter tail.

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The pilot and occupants were en route to Panorama House for lunch, when the accident happened at 12.12pm.
The crash happened in good flying conditions with clear skies and winds at about 10-15 knots.
Police said the four deceased people were not part of a wedding party, as previously reported.
They had flown from Bankstown Airport earlier today.
Investigators believe the helicopter clipped treetops, flipped over and exploded as it was coming into land in a clearing adjacent to Panorama House.
Witness Norm Upton was approaching Bulli Tops and noticed a plume of black smoke.
"I looked over and saw a helicopter on its side. It's fuselage was still intact but it was shouldering," Mr Upton said.
"Then I saw two men running towards it, and I knew straight away it must have been bad."

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Emergency services raced to the site of the crash at around midday.
The helicopter involved in the crash registered to Bankstown Helicopters.
The company's Chief Pilot William Miller confirmed the Robinson R44 VH-HWQ had been hired out to a private pilot who was conducting 'private operations'."
'At this time Bankstown Helicopters is unable to comment further as to the circumstances leading to the accident, or the condition of the occupants," he said in a written statement.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says it has deployed a team of four investigators to the Bulli Tops crash scene to begin the on-site phase of its investigation.
A fatal crash on the south coast in February last year involving the same model of helicopter which claimed the lives of two men was also subject of an ATSB investigation.
In the wake of that inquiry the Bureau advised owners and operators of R44 helicopters to fit bladder-type fuel tanks saying there was a danger of fire from aluminium fuel tanks in the event of an accident.
A woman at the Cliffhanger Café at Bulli Tops said she was first alerted to the tragedy by the sounds of ambulance and emergency services sirens.
“We're about 500 metres away with a lot of trees in between…the first we knew was lots and lots of sirens going past," she said.
More to come.

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Canberra, Brisbane, Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Tamworth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth
Standards Division
File Ref: D13/36518
5 February 2013
Notice to all R44 Operators
Subject: Fuel Tanks - R44 helicopters, S/N 0001 thru 2064 and
R44 II helicopters, S/N 10001 thru 12890.
You may be aware of recent incidents and accidents involving Robinson R44 helicopters that, in some cases, have resulted in post-crash fires following helicopter rollover and/or low velocity impact events. The Type Certificate holder (manufacturer) is recommending the incorporation of a bladder fuel tank kit to improve the integrity of the tank after impact or rollover events. The manufacturer’s recommendation comes in the form of Service Bulletin (SB) 78B, which specifies the requirements for the installation of the modified fuel tanks, with a compliance date of April 2013.
Operators are reminded of their responsibility to ensure that aircraft are in a safe and airworthy state. This requires the operator to review manufacturer’s recommendations and associated data and, where appropriate, to incorporate those recommendations.
Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) 42A (4) 1988 states the following;
(4) If a person has elected to use a manufacturer‘s maintenance schedule for an aircraft’s maintenance, all instructions issued by the manufacturer of components permanently, or from time to time, included in, or fitted to, the aircraft, being instructions for the continued airworthiness of the components, are to be taken to form part of the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and election has effect accordingly.
At this time, CASA strongly recommends that all operators of R44 helicopters, which are subject to the Robinson SB (78B), incorporate the manufacturer’s modified bladder tanks at the earliest opportunity.
To enable CASA to determine the current and projected status of the R44 fleet, you are requested to advise CASA on the status of the fuel tank installation on your aircraft and whether the Service Bulletin modification has been installed. This can be achieved by completing the attached form and returning it by facsimile, mail or e-mail at the earliest opportunity. If you own multiple aircraft, it would be appreciated if a separate form for each aircraft is returned
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Yours sincerely
[ORIGINAL SIGNED BY]
Peter Boyd
Executive Manager
Standards Division
Civil Aviation Safety Authority

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Service Bulletin (SB) 78B, which specifies the requirements for the installation of the modified fuel tanks, with a compliance date of April 2013.

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Boasting absolutely breathtaking views of the picture-perfect Illawarra coastline, Panorama House is perched high on top of the Illawarra Escarpment, 400 metres above sea level.

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We simply do not know if the impact would have been survivable in the absence of fire.

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What happened
At about 1207 local time on 21 March 2013, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 helicopter (R44), registered VH-HWQ, was manoeuvring at a grassed area at Bulli Tops, New South Wales. Shortly after landing, the helicopter lifted off and turned to the right. The main rotor struck branches of a nearby tree, and the helicopter descended and then rolled over onto its right side. A fire started on the grass under the rotor mast and the cabin. The pilot and the three passengers were fatally injured.

What the ATSB found
The circumstances of this accident are consistent with two recent R44 accidents in Australia involving low-energy impacts that resulted in the all-aluminium fuel tanks being breached and a fuel-fed fire. R44 accidents result in a significantly higher proportion of post-impact fires than for other similar helicopter types. The accident helicopter was equipped with an all-aluminium tank.
On 20 December 2010 the Robinson Helicopter Company issued Service Bulletin SB-78 providing for the replacement of all-aluminium tanks in R44 helicopters with bladder-type tanks that substantially reduce the likelihood of post-crash fires. On 28 September 2012 the Robinson Helicopter Company revised and reissued the service bulletin as SB-78B. This revision brought forward the compliance date for the service bulletin to 30 April 2013. The ATSB has assessed that about 100 Australian R44 helicopters will not have met the service bulletin by the due date.

What's been done as a result
In response to this accident, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has confirmed its understanding that the great majority of Australian R44 helicopter owners are legally required to comply with Service Bulletin SB-78B. CASA has also undertaken to contact owners who may not be required to comply and then consider further action depending on the response to that contact.
The ATSB remains concerned at the significant risk that many R44 helicopters will not comply with the service bulletin and has recommended that CASA take further action to ensure compliance.

Safety message
The fitment of bladder-type fuel tanks to R44 helicopters is a very important safety enhancement that could save lives and is very strongly encouraged. In addition, regulators and investigation agencies in other countries should take note of this report and consider what steps they can take to increase compliance with the manufacturer’s safety bulletin.

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R44 helicopter fuel tanks must be upgraded
Robinson R44 helicopters that have not been fitted with upgraded fuel tanks face being grounded from 30 April 2013.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has issued a direction to all affected R44 helicopter operators about the installation of flexible fuel tanks to reduce the risk of post-accident fires.

CASA has made it clear that R44 helicopter operators following the Robinson maintenance program are required to install the new fuel tanks.

Any operators not covered by the Robinson maintenance program will be directed by CASA to fit the tanks if the upgrade has not already been completed.

In a service bulletin issued in September 2012 Robinson set 30 April 2013 as the deadline for the fitting of the flexible fuel tanks.

All R44 helicopter operators have been given ample notice of this requirement, with the first fuel tank service bulletin issued by Robinson in December 2010.

CASA issued an airworthiness bulletin in June 2012 strongly recommending the fuel tanks be fitted at the earliest opportunity.

CASA then wrote to R44 operators in February 2013 to emphasise the deadline set by Robinson.

On 28 March 2013 CASA again wrote to all R44 operators to highlight the importance of replacing the fuel tanks and to direct them to give information to CASA about the status of their maintenance program.

In addition, CASA this week issued another airworthiness bulletin to formally remind R44 operators and maintainers of the need to have new fuel tanks fitted.

The latest actions by CASA follow a preliminary investigation report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into a fatal R44 helicopter accident at Bulli Tops in NSW on 21 March 2013.

Safety is CASA’s overriding priority.



Media contact:
Peter Gibson
Mobile: 0419 296 446
Email: [email protected]
Ref: MR0813

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Safety is CASA’s overriding priority.

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But, where is the discussion about:

Training;
Loss tail rotor effectiveness;

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...Frank was a genius at tail rotor design...

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What is LTE? LTE is an uncommanded, rapid yaw towards the advancing blade which does not subside of its own accord. It can result in the loss of the aircraft if left unchecked.

Which helicopters are susceptible to LTE?
All helicopters with a single main rotor and tail rotor are susceptible to LTE. Those helicopters equipped with a Fenestron are affected by a similar phenomenon traditionally known as 'Fenestron Stall'. The Bell Jetranger is statistically the most likely to encounter LTE and it is this type which caused the FAA to look more closely at the problem back in the 1980s.

Is LTE caused by a mechanical defect?
No. LTE is caused by an aerodynamic interaction between the main rotor and tail rotor. Some helicopter types (Jetranger) are more likely to encounter LTE due to the insufficient thrust produced by having a tail rotor which meets certification standards, but which is not always able to produce the thrust demanded by the pilot.

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Thursday, February 1, 2007
Safety Watch: Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness

Tim McAdams

ACCORDING TO THE NTSB, ON July 11, 2000, the pilot of a Robinson Helicopter R22B said he was flying northeast about 10-20 mph at about 230 ft agl when the helicopter began to rotate to the right and seemed as if it was inverted.
He applied full left pedal and lowered the collective. After about three rotations, he heard a horn, which he believed was a low rotor-rpm warning. Initial inputs did not correct the loss of control.
As the helicopter descended toward trees, he applied full left cyclic, followed by full forward cyclic, then full right cyclic. The helicopter seemed slightly more controllable and was no longer inverted. However, it was still corkscrewing to the right. It impacted a swampy area and the fuselage, tail boom, and tail rotor were damaged. The pilot sustained serious injury. The passenger was not injured.
Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. Reported winds at an airport about 7 mi from the accident site were from 300 deg at 15 kt, gusting to 21.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot-in-command’s improper in-flight decision to maneuver at a low airspeed with a left quartering tailwind, which resulted in a loss of tail-rotor effectiveness.
Just over a year later, the pilot of a Bell Helicopter 206B JetRanger and his passenger were not so lucky. They were fatally injured when their helicopter collided with Alpha taxiway abeam Runway 15 Right at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
The helicopter approached a construction site on the airport in an out-of-ground-effect (OGE) hover taxi, with a quartering left tailwind. The helicopter turned right, and slowed to a stationary hover at about 250 ft with a direct tailwind. Once in a hover, it made a right, rapid, 180-deg pedal turn around the mast, stopped momentarily, then initiated another, rapid pedal turn to the right. The helicopter turned at a faster rate than the initial turn and continued into a spinning, vertical descent to the ground. The FAA’s examination of the helicopter found no mechanical anomalies.
Again, the NTSB determined the probable cause was the pilot’s improper decision to maneuver in an environment conducive to a loss of tail-rotor effectiveness and his inadequate recovery from the resulting unanticipated right yaw.
According to FAA Advisory Circular AC90-95, any maneuver which requires the pilot to operate in a high-power, low-airspeed environment with a left crosswind or tailwind creates an environment where unanticipated right yaw may occur. It also advises of greater susceptibility for loss of tail-rotor effectiveness in right turns and states the phenomena may occur in varying degrees in all single main-rotor helicopters at airspeeds less than 30 kt.
Bell’s Operations Safety Notice OSN 206-83-10, regarding loss of tail-rotor effectiveness in the 206B and similar airframes, describes the phenomenon as an unanticipated right yaw. It contains the following warnings when maneuvering between a hover and 30 mph:
"Be aware that a tail wind will reduce relative wind speed if a downwind translation occurs. If loss of translational lift occurs, it can result in a high power demand and an additional anti-torque requirement. Be alert during hover (especially OGE) and high-power-demand situations. Be alert during hover in winds of about 8-12 kt (especially OGE), since there are no strong indications to the pilot [of] the possibility of a reduction of translational lift... Be aware that if a considerable amount of left pedal is being maintained, that a sufficient amount of left pedal may not be available to counteract an unanticipated right yaw."
Included in this notice is a chart that depicts relative-wind directions referencing the fuselage where an unanticipated right yaw can occur. More information is also available in Bell’s Rotorbreeze magazine.
One reason these pilots may have placed themselves and their passengers in jeopardy despite the abundance of warnings and information regarding loss of tail-rotor effectiveness is inexperience. The pilot of the R22B held a private pilot’s license and did not provide any further information to the NTSB or FAA. The Bell 206B pilot was commercially rated, but had less than 500 hr of helicopter flight experience, and 87.2 hr of experience in that model.
Both of these flights were performing aerial photography, the nature of which requires maneuvering at low altitudes and slow speeds. Add to that the distraction of trying to work with a photographer to line up the desired shot and the mission becomes very demanding. Any pilot flying a photographer needs to insure that he understands the aerodynamics and limitations of maneuvering at slow speeds.
Flight instructors should take note because students often misunderstand loss of tail-rotor effectiveness. More emphasis should be placed on this subject and instructors must ensure students fully understand the dangers of loss of tail-rotor effectiveness. Failure to do so can be deadly.
Tim McAdams has more than 9,000 total flight hours, with 7,000 in helicopters. A helicopter CFI and a fixed- and rotor-wing ATP, he flies a single-pilot IFR Agusta 109E for CareFlite in Dallas. You can reach him at [email protected].

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ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT
Aviation Occurrence Investigation AO-2011-055
Final
Loss of control, VH-ETT
4 km south-east of Kilmore, Victoria
30 April 2011
Abstract
On 30 April 2011, the owner-pilot of a Robinson Helicopter Co. R44 helicopter, registered VH-ETT, was conducting a local flight from a private property located near Kilmore Gap, Victoria. During low-level maneuvering at low speed around a dam, the pilot lost directional control and landed heavily in the water. The helicopter was seriously damaged; the pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries.
The investigation found that the helicopter was probably serviceable and that the loss of directional control was likely to be a result of a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated on impact and prompted an effective search and rescue (SAR) response through a broadcast on the 121.5 MHz frequency. However, the 406 MHz transmission that was monitored by the SAR agency did not trigger an alert or provide identification information. As a result, there was no assurance of an immediate and effective response from the SAR agency.
The investigation found that the ELT could be programmed with identification information either directly or (if fitted) by input from a component (dongle) in the ELT wiring connector. In this occurrence, the ELT had been inadvertently reprogrammed with incorrect information from the dongle.
A minor safety issue was identified in that there were only subtle cues to distinguish programmable dongles from the standard-type wiring connector. There was also variability in the conduct of post-installation ELT testing.
In response, on 6 June 2011, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) published Airworthiness Bulletin 25-018 to alert maintenance organisations to the risk of programming dongles transferring potentially invalid details to the memory of ELTs. CASA advised that an article in Flight Safety Australia would also highlight the issue.
The helicopter manufacturer advised that they were introducing measures to increase awareness of programming dongles in their new helicopters.

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Please, to be precise and to teach proper procedure for recovery, do not call overpitching and loss of yaw control LTE, call it overpitching."

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