If unsure that the chip light warning is spurrious check that the paint on the gearbox hasn't peeled due to heat...

A usefull additional glance isn't a flakey idea during the preflight?

Mickjoebill

Here's a bit of added tail-rotor advice
 

No-one ever told me not to hover downwind in a Iroquois. So I figured that, if I could achieve a better up-front hover reference for winching and/or external loads hook-up, why NOT?

Well one bad day I found out why not. I had two persons in the strop on a high hover winch and the first hanger bearing aft of the jet efflux let go. It just overheated, lubrication broke down nd it popped right out and the T/R driveshaft cover got flung off and the feedback through the T/R pedals went to extreme. It took me about 10 to 15 seconds to sink the hoist-buddies back onto the ground, chop cable and subside to the right into a convenient clearing before the whole shebang let go. Luckily all the damage I got was a whole bunch of later hindsighting "Didn't you know that.......etc, etc"

Maybe they should have a chip detector or overheat light for that first hanger bearing. About 15 seconds is all you've got once they depart their housing. My recommendation is to hover crosswind or into wind, notwithstanding the difficulty with hover references. Learn to hover alongside a reference (but I was never taught that). Think about where you're going to dump it pronto (when and if the pedals start dancing).

Tail rotordrive-shaft failures in the v high hover above secondary jungle tops are potentially a diurnal ruination.

TS

TheShadow,

Why not ask for a real helicopter, instead of one with a fatal flaw and a warning light?
It is pretty vclose to the time when we should ask for machines that are actually doing what we ask, and having us do what they want.

Imagine allowing your daughter to drive a car where a warning light for the wheel bearing comes on, and if she doesn't pull over, the wheel will explode and roll the car over!

Arm out the window


Once you have landed the aircraft with a chip light on you would have to put it on the M.R. ...simple. Once it's on the M.R. you can't fly the aircraft...simple.

From reading this thread I get the impression that:
1: there are a lot of tail rotor gear box failures because everyone seems to think that if the chip light comes on the damn thing is about to explode.
2: Everybody is flying in the circuit or at most a 20 miinute drive from the hangar.

So anyhoo it is 1 1/2 hours to sunset - you are 1 hour from home or anyplace else for that matter- it is -35C with a 30 knot wind. The tr chip light comes on.
What are you going to do?

For what its worth, when I think gearbox chip light I think back to the 1982 US Army CH-47C crash in Mannheim, Germany.

The crew observed a flickering transmission chip light at 8,000 odd feet and took steps to land immediately, but tragically at about 500 feet the fwd transmission failed, the heads de-phased and the outcome for the 46 crew and parachutists on board was inevitable. I might point out that it was not old technology that caused this accident but a change in gearbox overhaul cleaning procedures.

Jeppsbore - Regarding the very reliable PT6A engine, most are fitted to 2-engine aircraft and therefore the failure of one would still leave you one to get you to an airfield, maybe single engine installations all have chip lights? Also it is likely that the break-up of the gears/bearings and bushes will clog up the prop governor inlet screen resulting in a fluctuating prop and thereby alerting you to the fact that something is up.

Thankfully transmission failures per flying hour are pretty rare but they do happen.

For me it does not matter how many false alarms you get, you just never know. I favour backing off on the power and taking it steady to the nearest and safest piece of ‘terra ferma/rig/icepack/boat deck’ you can find.

Don’t think profit and bollocking’s, think making it to retirement.

Albatross

Have

- water, preferably some wine
- some food (maybe there some fishing gear will do)
- a light
- a sleeping back, preferably a tent, but the heli-cover also might do
- a phone, preferably iridium or a very cool wife

d3

Red and Orange
 

Left Pedal,
I believe the reason for the change from Red to Orange lights in Robbies. Was becasue, the 'Low Fuel' light used to be RED but at soon as it would come on in flight pilots were auto'ing to the ground risking the machine and it's occupants, instead of landing safely as soon as possible.

Spank me if I'm wrong !

Regards

Loachboy

Hi TC,

High and Fast to the first suitable! There's always Hartlans Point!

Cheers

:eek: OffshoreIgor :eek:

Hi Offshore - jeez you get around, where are you misbehaving now?

A reminder of the good old days:ooh:




all in a days work!

I happened to overhear a conversation last night concerning the right to land in the event of an illuminated chip light from a pilot who was previously flying in the Washington D.C. area. She was of the opinion that because the RFM stated "Land as soon as practicable" she would be violated in making a precautionary landing. She said she had such an event and had to fly for quite a bit to leave the area and even had a passenger ask to land the helicopter, if I heard correctly. I am feeling the tendency to disagree, but I never flew in that area and I'm not sure how restrictive it is, but I would assume if you have the clearance to fly in the area you would be able to deal with an in flight emergency as well. I uncharacteristically kept my mouth closed last night, but would be interested in anyone's input. Would you be subject to the FAA's wrath for landing in this situation? Thanks.