Can a twin engine helicopter be ferried on one engine ?
 

Can this be done legally and / or in a tough spot at lighter weights ?

We did it back in the 80's a few times. S58T. I'm pretty sure we got approval from the feds. Lightened the ship up a bit too if I remember correctly.

It depends

If the weight can be sufficiently reduced

If approval from the operator and regulator is obtained

If there is a good reason

Not done it myself but i recall our company moving an S76 single engine in the UK in the late 90's.

I think in that situation you do what is possible and sort out the legalities/paperwork later! I know an instance where an AS332L on a UN contract in Sierra Leone carried out a single engine departure from the field, with some very grateful pax who had just been chased through the bush. The crew heard their frantic radio calls and started up in readiness for their arrival, but couldn't start one engine (can't remember now whether it wouldn't start, or it was considered more prudent to just go anyway!)

In EASA-land, if its not a procedure in the AMM or MEL, you'll need approval from your Airworthiness Authority, and they are going to even consider your request without a recommendation from the Type Certificate Holder. Obviously every type (and TCH) is different.

Again, obviously, if the Red-hordes are storming the ramparts you might decide to just do it and sort out the niceties later, but make sure you've got footage of the Red-hordes.

Get a Bell 206LT, or a Gemini ST. Both certified to operate with one or two engines as required.

In EASA-land, if its not a procedure in the AMM or MEL, you'll need approval from your Airworthiness Authority, and they are going to even consider your request without a recommendation from the Type Certificate Holder. Obviously every type (and TCH) is different.

Again, obviously, if the Red-hordes are storming the ramparts you might decide to just do it and sort out the niceties later, but make sure you've got footage of the Red-hordes.

We recovered a BO105 single engined.
Had an engine failure on top of a lighthouse!!!

On this side of the pond it can be done legally via a FAA Special Flight Permit (Ferry permit). But on occasion it's been known to be done without said permit especially when a category 4 hurricane is enroute and you're parked on a pad located 2 feet above sea level.

I believe the Gemini can be, but the 206LT is not certified. It's been a long time since I have flown one though.

Oz land chief pilot ferried a 76A with the regulators approval from a off shore platform.

We had a 212 in Rwanda depart a very unfriendly location on one engine….the start checklist was considerably abbreviated and collective was moving up as throttle was rolled through idle to open. Fortunately they were parked on a hillside with considerable dropdown available. Second engine was started in the air. Nothing like sustained automatic weapons fire to focus the mind. Fortunately just 2 crew and light on fuel.

Been involved a couple of times with 212/412's flown out of not ideal places on one engine , stripped out with min fuel to be flown to a more suitable maintenance place.

There is an STC to remove the two engines from a 212 and always operate it on one engine, saves around 300 kg.

Put an uprated PT6 or T-55 Lycoming in one....similar to the Bell 214....with a modern Tail Rotor and you would have a real horse.

I had a engine failure coming off Longships or Wolf rock (brain fart memory) in the Bolkow into Lands End single engine around 1990, where was you’re incident?
ericferret?

Couldn't tell you I'm afraid. Long time ago prior to 1986.

I’ve done it in a military Puma from an offshore island back to the mainland.

It required a running takeoff and a running landing but was otherwise uneventful.

Very interesting


Thanks for the informative replies

Since there is a bit of lamp swinging going on, here's my experience.

Brent Field, far north sea and rig shuttles/bus runs carried out with our Bell 212s in the mid 1970s. Coming in to land on one of the smaller decks one of the PT6 TwinPac decided to have a significant cough,so I landed well off to one side of the (smallish) deck to leave room for a Bo105 to bring in a Ginger Beer or two to have a look. Eventually they turned up and diagnosed a power turbine departure; much discussion and I agreed to S/E ferry it back to our home platform as long as it was defuelled and we had approval from Redhill.

Both requirements ticked off, hassle free flight back.

Except that in the washup it turned out that a small porky had been told, and no approval sought nor given. Lesson learned, trust but verify :=
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