CH149 Cormorant Accident March 2022
 

Just announced on Twitter:

Photo (from a distance) on CTVnews.ca website shows a fairly intact looking airframe lying on its side.

Another news report:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfo...rash-1.6380399

slightly closer photo


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....1aa469587.jpeg

Matches the Norwegian versions…..
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3792c17cd.jpeg

Speedy recovery to those injured.

Sounds like the pilots seat suddenly dropped to lowest setting whilst in the hover. Not confirmed but from a reliable source.

Embarrassing! I hope they aren't badly injured.

I once had this happen to me in a Puma. Thankfully, it happened during the initial climb rather than the hover, so we had enough ground clearance to avoid a great deal more trouble.

I had the seat suddenly coming loose in the lenght adjustment in a NH90 sending me all
the way to the rear stop during the final
phase of a landing in a small hole in the forrest.
I didnt have any direct problems to keep
control and my copilot was quickly on the controls
also, hearing the clonk from the seat.

Its easy to imagine a smaller pilot going all the way back and at the same time a copilot that dont react as quick as mine did, and the formula for an accident is there.

Seats need to be very safe(fool proof) but I think the manufacturers often build in risks for this
kind of problem.

I had a similar problem but in an Aerocommander during takeoff - as the machine rotated, the fuselage flexed and my seat ran to the back stop - single pilot. Luckily the pax behind me pushed the seat forward again.

Haven't had it happen in a helicopter yet, though out of the 11 types of chopper, only the Huey/ B 212/412 and the S76 had height-adjustable seats. The rest of them contributed to my bad back.

I heard it was taxiing, not in flight. Locked nosewheel maybe?

The Lynx seat was self-height-adjustable, and once dropped to the bottom stop on me on a LL sortie, leaving me staring at dials rather than German farmland. The pre-flight part of the FRC does state to check the efficacy of the locking mechanism, I wonder how much extra strain the Kevlar buckets put on the pins?

Not the same but I once had the cyclic grip come off in my hand in the bottom of the flare for a full on autorotation….fun and games.
“You have control !” I said very quickly to the manufacturer’s instructor who was closely monitoring the controls. Luckily the wiring from the grip down into the cyclic stick were still attached. Level and touchdown were not a problem.
Much laughter as we discussed quality control in the assembly of the wonderful machine.
Used a multi-tool to quickly fix it. (checked his grip to for proper adhesion to the airframe also.)

Many accidents are caused by the nut on the cyclic…… ;)

I've gotta remember that one :ok:

Preliminary is out. Still lots of questions.

https://rcaf.forces.gc.ca/en/flight-...gator/l15jmm95