Normal SOP Question ??
 

Just been reading through the HeliHub accident reports and this one struck me as out of the ordinary.

After a tail rotor strike is it, or isnt it best practice to put the machine down asap, not fly it back to base and look as outlined in the report.

15-Oct-13 ZK-HWF Eurocopter AS350BA Awatere Valley, New Zealand | Helihub - the Helicopter Industry Data Source

I would have thought that 99.9% of pilots would have landed as soon as possible for a check. After all if either the tail rotor or the boom had failed, he wouldn't have done much more flying!

What may seem inconceivable to you and me is done every day around the world by a huge cross-section of professional (in the sense that they get paid for it) pilots.

I found the next report intriguing! :confused::confused:

Registration - PARA

a.k.a. MEATBOMB :rolleyes:

From reading the report in the link in the OP i think we have to consider that it's possible that the pilot did not realise that he had received a tail rotor strike at all and that the damage was only noticed during the post flight inspection.

OH

It was quite possible that a suitable landing site was not available on site, and he had to ferry to where he was staging. Which may have been referred to as "base".
CAA reports are not always worded how things actually occurred.
Personally, If I had known about it and there was a place to land on site I would go there. If there was nothing but vines and wires and a small ferry to a site was the only option. I would go there.
What may be "minor" damage would turn into a wrecked machine if you settle it into the vines and wires.
If there was no vibrations in pedals and it wasnt spinning then why settle it into the vines? if your feet are buzzing and your using more pedal then normal then settling it would be the best option.
Tough to decide on the spot though.

End of the day, the pilot may have decided a ferry was the best option considering the terrain he/she was over.

Dont some helicopters have tabs on the T/R blades to tell if they had struck/touched water? Only inspected on a daily (obviously floats fitted)