Central Counties Brown Trouser Moment!!
 

Central Counties ASU have had an interesting incident involving a main rotor scissor link becoming detached on landing. Brown trousers all around chaps??

Not had a lot of luck with their main rotor recently. Bet they can't wait to get their hands on the new machine.

Well done Stu!

A few seconds earlier could have made a big difference.

VH

I think Stu now lives in Canada.

FNW

FNW;

Stu is currently living in a state of relief and is a trainer for PremiAir.

VH

Any indication of why it all went wrong so soon after return from maintenance on the bits up top ?

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../Coconutty.jpg

Apparently it has gone all the way to the top in Eurocopter. AAIB are involved.

Stu D went to Canada....this was Stu C

Is this the same EC135 that suffered a siezed swashplate bolt a couple of weeks ago and suffered a vibration in flight..........then taken back to maintenance base by truck to have swashplate parts repaired or replaced..............................:confused:

You would think the AAIB would ground the fleet if they thought it was a component issue and having net seen an SB as yet. All pointing in one direction.:=

Regardless of cause, glad they are ok.

No doubt it will all come out in the fullness of time.

Sounds as if Stu and the crew were very lucky...........

[You would think the AAIB would ground the fleet if they thought it was a component issue and having net seen an SB as yet. All pointing in one direction.:= ]
Yeah, and we pilots never make mistakes do we.

BUDGIE - AAIB investigate - they do not regulate

They have a tough job keeping the aircraft in the air when the parts fall off..;)

update
 

Any one got any idea how it all happened then and whats happend within ECUK:rolleyes:

ECUK have assured us that there will be a thorough and detailed investigation "no matter how ugly".

Last week 4 engineers were suspended pending interview with the AAIB.

I don't think we should second guess the AAIB - but I have a personal opinion! as discussed earlier if there was even a hint of mechanical failure then we would not be flying now - I would hope anyway!

I have heard a rumour that the control rods had to be disconnected during the track and balance. To allow one of them to be removed the scissor link nut needed to be removed - draw your own conclusions.

Is that fact or just conjectur?

Good job this is a rumour network or you might just have opened yourself up to a damned good court case. I'm quite sure the engineers involved might not see the funny side though!

Why would you remove a drive link nut during track and balance? Serious design floor there then!:ugh:You would have thought with 4 pitch change links and 2 drive links you would have at least 45 degrees of seperation between the various components.

As a 5 post man wombat45 are you just in for the 5hit stir?:rolleyes:

truth forum
 

"I'm quite sure the engineers involved might not see the funny side though!"

I'm sure the crew found it even funnier.

Its not about people losing there jobs but if they were at fault then !! (and there has been no SB or AD to say otherwise).

That'll be 5hit 5tirrer then!

Questions....
 

quichemech - are you an EC135 engineer ? - If not can anyone else answer - Does the Scissor link nut need to be removed to allow one of the ( pitch link ) control rods to be removed during tracking and balancing, as in the "rumour" mentioned by Wombat ??

BUDGIE - In your "Truth forum" post : I don't think anyone directly involved finds this to be funny, in the comical sense - Where did you obtain this "truth" about the engineers ? :rolleyes:

Final question, after return from maintenance for work on the rotor head, IF the Scissor link nut had not been refitted ( which seems to be the conclusion that Wombat might want to infer ), or had been refitted incorrectly, is this something that would be obvious during the pilot's pre-flight inspection ?

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../Coconutty.jpg