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Pilot's death 'may have been avoided'

The Scotsman report

Quote:

Helicopter Pilot's Death 'May Have Been Avoided'

Quote:

A sheriff ruled yesterday that the death of a helicopter pilot who was killed after his aircraft crashed into the sea might have been avoided.

Sheriff Colin Scott Mackenzie said that, had Captain Anthony Taylor been given or knew the accurate weight of the cargo his Bolkow BO 105 helicopter was carrying, he may have refused to take it.

The 53-year-old, of Insch, Aberdeenshire, died last May while flying between Brough of Birsay and the Orkney mainland after the underslung load he was carrying swung into the path of the rotor blades.

The sheriff also concluded that the load, which included scaffolding, was “aerodynamically unsuitable”.

Note for non Scottish readers: A Sheriff is a judge in Scotland.

I can't find the original thread. If anyone else can, please post a link.

Bit of an understatement on the Sheriffs part.
Does the Bolkow external ops/ slingload manual address the flat
plate and Delta Drag factors of hook loads?
The information has been around for a long time.
Primary restriction is airspeed and wx conditions.

would need to see the accident report to understand this accident.
To get get a load of scoffolding to swing in to the path of the rotor blades would take some doing. what was the weight of the load and the length of line.

The link to the accident report came up as I was posting my Q , so will now read