AW139 crash in Kenya
 

A (brand new) AW139 operated by the Kenyan Police crashed only days after the "factory pilot" was sent home..

Four cops injured after new police helicopter crashes in Mathare | The Star, Kenya

Thats the second crash within 2 weeks-a Long Ranger crashed at Wilson Airport after an Autorotation Training went wrong (according to reports, he still had some feet to go at the end of the autorotation-unlicensed "instructor" on board, if it´s true what they say..).

Looking at the photos of it on the ground, the main landing gear seems to have been retracted when it landed.

Looking at the video of it in the air, there wasn't time to even think about the landing gear!

Classic vortex ring

The Kenya TV news bulletin:

Raw video of crash...loss of control seems to be complete...

My thoughts go to the crew and I wish them a speedy recovery.

This is what I see in the video: An OGE hover at about 500ft AGL. An event that caused the aircraft to rotate approximately 45 degrees to the right. A rapid onset of vertical descent with a reversal of direction of rotation. Right hand rotation recommencing just prior to impact.

I don't think it was VRS as there was no RoD prior to the event. The rotation could conceivably have come from the fishtail effect of an engine failure but I would have expected to see a rapid nose down input from the pilot as it should be easily possible to fly out OEI from that height even at Kenyan temperatures and the RoD builds too quickly for OEI (unless the lever was down for some reason) It could conceivably have been a simultaneous double engine failure but, honestly, they only ever happen in the simulator these days. That amount of yaw, in that direction, would have led the pilots to suspect a tail drive shaft failure. My best guess here is that there was an uncommanded yaw to the right (possibly caused by a failure of tail rotor drive) that led the pilot to enter autorotation and attemp a near vertical auto from 500ft. The recommencement of rotation prior to impact probably indicates that the engines were not shut down. A difficult one to call!!

Another angle showing loss of yaw control...at least one one engine was still running post crash

A double engine failure would have led to a drastic reduction in rotorspeed-especially considering that the pilots are very inexperienced.

Just a few days before, the Kenyans had sent the factory pilot home, as they considered their own pilots (according to reports each of one had less than 1000 hours total time) good enough to fly it.

It is not unlikely in this culture to run out of fuel......which would explain an engine failure.....but i still believe that it was VRS.....all it takes is a slight RoD....Kenya is at 10.000 ft PA, and sometimes even higher....

Speedy recovery Guys


Jomo Kenyatta, which is just a few km away, is at 1,624m / 5,327ft elevation.
At the moment it is HKJK 090800Z 04005KT 9999 SCT022 19/12 Q1026 NOSIG

I'm sure you can work out the PA from that, and of course the DA :ok:

So far the reports say they are in a stable condition. I see one of the injured was from AW/Leonardo: Passengers in chopper crash in stable condition - VIDEO - Daily Nation

4,886'/6,456'

Looks like VRS to me. Difficult to see from any of the angles whether there was any rate of descent, but the initial right yaw would fit with a sudden application of collective to try to arrest a descent. This could have been the trigger to enter VRS, which leads to the apparent loss of yaw, and subsequently pitch & roll control as the VRS becomes fully developed.
I agree incipient VRS is not difficult to effect a recovery from, but if you consider the likely "startle" effect, and a few seconds to recognise and react, then fully blown VRS is not easy to recover from, particularly from this height.

Sub 1000hr pilots in a complex type like that?
And just after an allegedly non-rated (rather derated) instructor with a stude stoofed their newly refurbed Longranger at Wilson.

Smells like a dodgy culture at the Kenyan Police Air Wing to me.

Plenty of sub 1000hr co pilots flying complicated types around the world

One of the Engines is still going in this video so not a fuel problem

You´re right-DA, not PA (typo).....standard is somewhat around 8000-9000 ft...

Wilson (from where the aircraft is launching) is even higher at almost 5600 feet....Temperatures are usually at around 26-28° (at time of accident, 26° were reported).

Lets assume the were at 1000 ft at 26°, they were just below 10.000 ft DA....

Hmmm. Using the actual met from Wilson yesterday and assuming the aircraft was about 1,000 feet agl, it's closer to 8,400 feet DA

I'm just impressed that Kenya has a Police air wing with a 139. When I was last there I didn't see many high speed car chases. Maybe it's used more as a transport for very self important people. Hope the crew recover well and quickly. I also found VRS quite difficult to get into, but then I didn't fly something quite so complex.

at 7000/8000 DA that a/c doesn't make a fuss about hovering at MTOW in light winds.

Moreover, 4 pax and 3 hours endurance on a police equipped 139 makes me believe about a TOW around 6200kg at the time of the crash....if this figure is correct and considering stable hover as everybody can see I don't think VRS or neither LTE would be the cause of such disaster.

TRDSF?
T/R control binding?

Maybe coupled by wrong pilot reaction?

Just my opinion

Maybe it's used more as a transport for very self important people

It may have had its uses as a transport but it was well equipped with a chin mounted FLIR EO/IR [which appears to have survived] and a Trakka searchlight [which being on the port side will have been well and truly mashed] so it appears to have had a good operational intent.....