Kids!
 

The names of the PAX with pictures was just released on NRK.no.
5 great kids at the age of 19 to 22. Going for a joy ride at a festival.
Gone......

The State Attorney is getting all emotional and is loosing his cool and want the company, Heli Trans investigated ASAP.
The pilot is not named but described as a 27 man fairly new to the company.
Sad!

Cpt B

After their hydraulic flight control system killed numerous people due to this occurrence they would say that wouldn't they!

Perish the thought we under designed our flight control system and and then cause the aircraft to crash killing the occupants because we did not wish to over stress a rotor blade or some sheet metal and rivets.

Why is it all the other helicopter designers seem to see the exact opposite way?

talk to airbus, not me. it's their quote

Some extra information in this article that hasn't been posted in this thread, and it's in english.

https://www.thelocal.se/20190901/swe...licopter-crash

As usual in crashes of this type of helicopter....AS 350....we see immediate discussion of hydraulics issues...belts, pulleys, jack stall and fire post crash that evokes questions about crashworthiness of the fuel system.

We also hear talk of the. weakness of the airframe during high impact with the ground.

The aircraft is popular....and has good performance numbers.

Does the good really outweigh the bad in this machine or is its success profit driven?

Did the certifying authorities allow a problem machine to fly when perhaps they should not. have?

It is not like EC/AB helicopters have not made some engineering mistakes in their past.

Will we see the accident investigation of this tragedy record some similar finding from previous crashes that point to design issues?

The British military used the AS 350BB with a single hydraulic system as a basic trainer for 20 years flying tactical and low level profiles at high speed and managed not to experience jackstall/servo transparency in thousands of flying hours.

As I said before you have to be ham-fisted to get it to do that - stunting and bunting at high AUM with limited experience is a pretty good recipe though.

FDR
 

NRK.no reports that some sort of data recorder has been recovered , but in bad shape.
This is not a proper FDR , so what is it exactly.
Anyone care to enlighten me?

Regards
Cpt B

Google "Appareo Vision 1000 Airbus Helicopters" and you will see what was fitted in the accident helicopter.

FinalCheck
 

Thanks
Handy little thing.
And its Black, ie a black Box. In this case I fear it is burnt to a crisp, but time will show.
According to the Investigation Team they have little to go by as most of the main body was consumed by the fire.

At NRK.no there is some emotional RT , as a Heli Team 212(?) happens to pass by makes a Mayday call which is relayed by WF Dash 8.
He eventually manage to set down to rescue a person outside the wreak , unfortunately this person later passed away.
The SAR Seaking was there quickly as well.
Some quick response by fellow RotorHeads, but to no avail.
So.
If this was a Technical problem: Fix it!
If this was a Operational problem : Fix it!
We owe those dead Kids.
Eh!?

Respectfully
Cpt B

BluSdUp

Have a look at this accident report, not much left over of aircraft after a post crash fire but they still got a lot of good data from the Vision 1000 unit: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/...ts/AAR1403.pdf
Not saying the accident investigators will this time but they might, of course FDR / CVR like in the bigger aircraft would be ideal but cost prohibitive, this a a great solution for the smaller helicopters.

FinalChecks
Indeed not much left of that frame either, but the unit looks to have avoided the fire.
Lets hope it can be recovered in this case as well.
A small " Crash " box and it would stand a better chance.
Anyway
Thanks

I agree. Thoughts are with the deceased family.
Horrible. RIP

Agreed. I did about 90 hrs on the Squirrel AS350 and it was very reliable. Quickstops and confined areas were comfortably handled by thousands of hamfisted students like me. Loss of hyds in the sim was recoverable and not too uncomfortable either. Glad I never saw it for real. RIP.

its ASB 63.00.32

its pertaining to the driveshaft flange bolts, both engine side and MGB side for proper installation.
Its not specific if its this B3e incident, other than it says a recent accident with an ongoing investigation.

This is a ørintscreen of a video tanken 1.30 mins before the actual crash. Are there any errors showing up in the panel? Ibb.co/hLcnJqJ

No, (you can't see the whole warning panel in this picture). All parameters visible looks to be normal for controlled flight. Lots of fuel.

Can't see the VSI but doesn't 8FLI for 80kts/10° AOB seem like more power than necessary? Nose down attitude suggests the power isn't for a climb (that's how I interpret it).
(I'm alluding to potentially high disc loading and servo transparency with this question)

5 of 6 bolts missing

Google translate, but you get the major points.

Might explain the EAD on all new AS350 B3e's

Looking at the pic they show, there is significant damage to the couplings. More than I have ever seen. And I have dealt with many sudden stoppage instances over the last 17yrs of component overhaul and repair.
I have alot of questions on what I see here, and find it hard to believe that bolts could have fallen out, although it is possible in a bad case of the swiss cheeze holes lining up.

I believe the engine was ripped from the airframe in this incident and gives pause to some of the damage seen as secondary. The reason I say that is because they show the aft driveshaft coupling torn apart, yet the tail rotor looks intact in the one picture. The liaison tube also bears significant secondary damage consistent with forced removal.

Like I said, there is alot of questions still, especially since the ASB came out to look at these bolts. Are they a cause, or is it secondary damage as well.

Years ago under the Aerospatiale logo there was a "similar" rash of incidents/accidents with the 350/355 driveshaft flex couplings. Don't recall the specifics but believe it was the bolt tensile strength or something else that caused the bolt/nut to lose torque leading to bolt failure. The fix was to replace all the bolts with known good bolts marked with baby blue paint on the heads and a repetitive tq-check and bushing check on the disc packs. Unfortunately it doesnt need the bolts to fall out to have a failure which unfortunately again looks similar to the above pics.

this a/c should have the latest mod i think. well beyond the blue head bolts..
there is longer bolts, the 12pt nuts and the higher torque loading now.

if the bolts sheared thats one thing, but if they were loose for so long the nuts came off, or wore thru the bolts enough to disconnect, then theres some serious human factor errors at play from alot of levels

Final report on the accident is published
 

The final report on the investigation of the accident near Alta on the 31st of August 2019 from the Norwgian safety investigation authority (NSIA) was published yesterday.
The translated version is here.

"As a result of this investigation the NSIA submits 12 safety recommendations addressed to EASA, CAA-N and Helitrans AS, the helicopter operator. They concern measures to prevent servo transparency, training and safety of commercial sightseeing flights, survival aspects, including crash resistant fuel system and use of helmets, and requirements of lightweight flight recorders."

An inexperienced pilot running out of talent while trying to give his pax a fun ride.............a waste of 6 lives.

Another Victim of CIFS (Camera/Crowd Induced FWit Syndrome). Poor bunch. The driver had a moment of CIFS by the sounds of it and they didn’t get away with it. A sad loss.