perhaps a relative sketch of both planes considering their flight path, hovering, climb, path angles, etc. might close some speculation on all sides.

I won't hold my breath that this ever gets into the public domain

As someone has dully noted, if there is a case of AA fire involved, be it cannon fire or the heat seeking variety, what the heck are commercial airliners doing being routed in that same area, or out of Damascus with all that fighting going on ?????? This could have ended very badly for those passengers and crew. The collision could have brought the airliner down, any raving fruitcake with the AA gun could bring the airliner down, and if they have the heat seeking variety, the missile cannot tell between a military helicopter and a civilian airliner. Someone should pay hell for this. All airlines should have suspended flights in and out of Syria until this mess is over with.

I may have missed it (yes I've looked) but are we sure this flight RB-501 is a daylight operation?

matkat

Don't you mean the hydraulic leak measurement valves?

Anyway, I was of the understanding that they are a manually operated mechanics function via the overhead panel on/off buttons???

You mean to tell me that there has been a mid-air collision that nearly brought down an airliner and this has NOT been covered by mainstream media and all we have is a SINGLE picture?

I smell a rat.

Might not be wise to regard Aviation Herald as a wholly reliable source

From the pictures I have seen it looks as though the Airbus flew up under the helicopter rotor disk and the main rotor clipped the top of the fin.

''Quote: Admiral, that would not happen as there are hydraulic fuses fitted which sense pressure loss and activate (close) when a pressure drop is detected.

matkat

Don't you mean the hydraulic leak measurement valves?

Anyway, I was of the understanding that they are a manually operated mechanics function via the overhead panel on/off buttons???''

There are both. The hyd fuses are separate from the leak measurement valves.

The most shocking aspect of this event, is that if it happened to an SAA crew at FL120, it could happen to anyone - or me.

The investigation questions are obvious;
What was a heli doing at FL120?
Was either crew cleared to be there?
Controlled, or uncontrolled airspace? Was it see & avoid?
IMC or VMC? (CAVOK by definition does not apply above 5000').

See & avoid in a modern airliner is an uncomfortable position to be in. Closure speeds are too great, and even looking for an other aircraft where you know its position can be difficult.

They were very lucky not to loose both airframes, but I guess sometimes fate is on your side.

I suspect that it is more likely in that scenario that the Vert Stab hit the copters fuselage and not the rotor.

Sir
 

Sir, you are a cynic taking a short cut into politics

Pictures look like rotor-blade-impact.
Did a quick search in the net.
Mi17 has a height of 5.65m.
A320 has 11.76m.
Wing passes underneath the helicopter, VS hits the rotor.

Definate rotor strikes.

Helicopter coming in from the right hand side of the Airbus.
I would (very roughly) guess at the relative speeds giving an approach angle of something like from the A320 pilot's 11 oclock, and anything from the 2 o'clock to the 4 o'clock for the Mi8 pilot.

First blade (rotating clockwise seen from above) strikes the lower shallower cut, then second blade comes in deeper and shears off the top of the A320 tail.


Alternatively, the A320 was parked, and the Mi8 hover-taxied into the back of it from the 7 o'clock.......

http://aviation-safety.net/photos/ac...-C-d-2-750.jpg

Hmm second partial rotor strike there??

lomapaseo: I think the damage to the fin shows unmistakable blade damage, don't you?:confused:

Could be. But, it appears that the damage happened in the air ...

ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A320-232 YK-AKF Duma

Looks like a rotor strike on that vert fin of the Airbus.

With that damage, nice job getting her down. :D

Anybody have photos of the rotary remains?

no report in the media of a helo. crash...

It's a war zone, good luck finding shots of the helicopter unless they are uploaded by the 'rebels'

@lone_ranger: what's wrong with avherald? Are you serious ?