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Search teams prepared to lift wreckage of crashed helicopter Rescue 116 An attempt to tilt the aircraft, using inflatable lifting bags, had to be abandoned when conditions proved too challenging for Naval Service divers to operate in. Now, search co-ordinators plan to lift the wreckage directly from the sea bed and bring it to the surface. Search teams are anxious to see if there is any trace of the missing crew members in an area directly underneath the wreckage. Probably have about 24 hours before swells rise again and the next chance of a calm sea is sometime after Wednesday. http://met.ie/forecasts/5day-ireland.asp |
Joseph O'Connor paying tribute with his powerful poem 'Rescue 116'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQiKQtVIvFQ |
No mechanical anomolies detected in initial FDR/CVR analysis.
Rescue 116 crash: ?No mechanical anomalies? in analysis of data |
"An initial analysis has been conducted of the data retrieved from the helicopter’s Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) and the Multi-Purpose Flight Recorder (MPFR). No mechanical anomalies have been identified during this initial analysis," |
Does anyone know if the FMS installed in this machine have an alphabetic database, which would automatically jump to the next entered location as the identifier is entered?
For example, BlackRock would appear before BlackSod in a predictive alphabetic sequence as it autocompletes as the letters are selected in comparison to the existing database? I'm not familiar with the configuration or equipment installed in these helicopters. |
Originally Posted by Cyclic Hotline
(Post 9726635)
Does anyone know if the FMS installed in this machine have an alphabetic database, which would automatically jump to the next entered location as the identifier is entered?
For example, BlackRock would appear before BlackSod in a predictive alphabetic sequence as it autocompletes as the letters are selected in comparison to the existing database? I'm not familiar with the configuration or equipment installed in these helicopters. However R is next to S on the key pad. So if it were BlackR or BlackS it's only a finger tap apart. However I have no idea what they are called in this particular database. |
BROK and BSOD would make more sense in my world.
I have no idea as to what the naming convention is in place in the ICG operation. Many operations have oft used fixed waypoints as a permanent part of the nav database they subscibe to. Things like company approved approaches are also incorporated. Having said that we are entering the world of needless speculation. Just hoping we get the missing home to their families soon. |
Looking at the picture of Blackrock at the start of the RTE news report a few posts ago. That's a big lump of rock. You've got to ask if their radar was working. That would have been an enormous radar return.
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"No mechanical anomalies" is I suppose a blessing to my home patch of the N Sea where the S92 is currently ubiquitous, but I guess the corollary to that is that it was CFIT. Such a shame, but it does reinforce the point I was trying to make many pages ago, that IFR approaches off-airfield do carry a relatively high risk. They are probably intrinsically safe in theory, but add in human factors and there are more opportunities for human error to creep in. As I said earlier, I do feel that SAR crews and their dispatchers sometimes don't really appreciate this, and perhaps need to be more mindful of it when carrying out a role that is not life-or-death. Let's be clear, these types of approaches are "safe", (whatever that means), but not "as safe" as an airfield IFR approach.
In the early days of the N Sea we used to climb up rig legs, hover taxi in fog to Unst etc, and these things were relatively safe - "its a helicopter". But not safe enough, and now we are no longer allowed to do it. |
Originally Posted by The SAR RC
(Post 9726697)
Looking at the picture of Blackrock at the start of the RTE news report a few posts ago. That's a big lump of rock. You've got to ask if their radar was working. That would have been an enormous radar return.
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Originally Posted by HeliComparator
(Post 9726700)
Is it that easy to tell the difference between a big lump of rock and a heavy rain shower? And of course the radar doesn't tell you the height of the rock.
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Originally Posted by helicrazi
(Post 9726703)
Yes there's a difference
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Originally Posted by HeliComparator
(Post 9726705)
Are you going to tell us what it is?
Wasn't it low cloud and fog that night? Would you be expecting a heavy shower in those conditions with a red return? For an approach to land I would also have GMAP or GMAP 2 selected, so the return the radar is showing is most likely to be of the solid kind. |
Originally Posted by helicrazi
(Post 9726707)
Shape, size, colour change at different ranges, showers tend to change colour as they get closer or you closer to them.
Wasn't it low cloud and fog that night? Would you be expecting a heavy shower in those conditions with a red return? For an approach to land I would also have GMAP or GMAP 2 selected, so the return the radar is showing is most likely to be of the solid kind. |
Everybody play nice please.
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Originally Posted by HeliComparator
(Post 9726713)
My point is that yes there are differences, but fairly minor ones as you describe. It is therefore not impossible that they disregarded the return as being weather (despite the actual weather being as you say) - or at least it is as valid an explanation as the radar being U/S. If the radar had actually been U/S, would they have continued with the approach?
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Originally Posted by albatross
(Post 9726715)
Everybody play nice please.
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Is there any information on the lat long of the vessel that at one point, both machines were heading to? So far, all we hear is 150 west of Ireland.
I ask because from the track almost out of Dublin, but certainly leaving the Mayo shore, R116 was pointing directly at Blackrock. Either their heading was for the ship, and Blackrock was coincidentally directly underneath on the outbound, or they were heading to Blackrock. If that is the ship track, it may mean that at the point where they couldn't raise R118, the crew made the decision to abandon the top cover mission at least for the time being, and go to Blacksod for fuel. Various scenarios being discussed are then in play. I do think that what their intention was heading west from Achill, I think it was, is important. I haven't seen that track map for a while, but it seems that they jogged to starboard just as they came on the rock, before tracking again on the same heading. Has anybody got R118's track? |
Originally Posted by HeliComparator
(Post 9726722)
I thought we were? If it transpires that it was crew error, would you rather it was blamed on that specific crew, or that they were the victims of the culture, custom and practice of SAR?
Sorry if you thought I had. I would like that they find out exactly what happened and correct the problems that caused this tragedy. The list of folks We have lost in this business is long enough already. |
Statement from the AAIU
Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) Statement in relation to R116 Investigation
The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, Mr. Jurgen Whyte, in conjunction with the appointed Investigator-in-Charge, Mr. Paul Farrell, wish to make the following statement. The AAIU is keenly aware of the loss and grief of the families, friends and colleagues of the crew of R116 and extends its condolences to all concerned. The AAIU continues to work with other agencies to locate and recover the two missing crew members. The AAIU is mindful that Sikorsky S-92A helicopters are in operation around the world in a variety of roles, including Search and Rescue. Following an event such as this, many operators and agencies are anxious to learn if any matters are identified during the ongoing investigation that may require immediate safety actions. The Investigation is still at a preliminary stage. However, an initial analysis has been conducted of the data retrieved from the helicopter’s Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) and the Multi-Purpose Flight Recorder (MPFR). No mechanical anomalies have been identified during this initial analysis. The AAIU Investigation is ongoing and a Preliminary Report will be issued in the near future. |
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