News helicopter crashes in Seattle

I work at amazon and my desk is looking right out the window in this directions..I watch helicopters take off from here and other news stations around it every day. I can't see the helo pad from where I sit, but I would see the helicopters come up from the buildings. It's only about 8 blocks away. I didn't get in this morning before they had it under control though.

 

Very early on in Naval Flight Training, we got an orientation course where the students were introduced to the various aircraft types. When we got to the helicopters, the instructor (a fixed wing type) noted that a helicopter is a collection of ten thousand rivets flying in loose formation; a failure of any one of which will result disaster.

Words of warning: Stay out of helicopters if you can.

 

What a stupid statement that is unrelated to this accident. Helicopters are safe as long as all parties (operators, mechanics, pilots) don't fall into complacency, and follow the rules.

It sounds like the pilot had loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) upon take-off, which has nothing to do with a parts failure.

RIP.

 

Kieran- Lighten up, he was just kidding. All fighter jocks have helicopter jokes, just like helicopter pilots undoubtedly have fixed wing jokes. Let's see, how can you tell a figher jock? Big watch, small private parts, and always trying to cash a check.

 

I fly a Cub, my buddy flies Robinson's and Jet Ranger's. He's said an autorotation approach feels almost exactly like a behind-the-curve slip to landing in a Cub. I've flown with him while he's practicing autorotations many times and it feels surprisingly controllable.

 

I'm multi engine airplane and rotorcraft rated, grew up flying fixed wing then helos in the military. I'll take a helo over a fixed wing any day for the simple fact I can autorotate to a parking lot, if necessary. I've also flown an F15 and frankly, it bored the heck out me. I'm wearing Nomex now, flame on if you must.


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Question: Can you auto-rotate when a failure occurs while in a hover 50ft above the ground?


Apparently some security cameras show the copter pivoting 360 deg immediately off the pad (which is on top of a 2 story building) and continuing to rotate until impact.

 

Sad news, sounds from the reports like they might have lost power. I've spent a lot of time in rotary wing aircraft of all types. Great aviators these guys.

 

I've heard that you can go to autorotation in cases of LTE, but only if you realize immediately what has happened and make the right decision, and this may not have been possible here. I remember seeing a video of a Sea King about to land on the fantail of a ship where LTE happened; the helo lost its tail boom and eventually went over the side of the ship in flames.

 

...and how do you know that the LTE had "nothing to do with parts failure"...???

 

Initial observation of surveillance camera footage showed that the chopper started rapid rotation at lift off and continued into impact. Another TV station helicopter pilot said that it appeared that they suffered TAIL ROTOR LOCK UP. isn't the tail rotor driven by a mechanical shaft and a gearbox ? Prior to lift off the pilot went aft to the tail to check something with his flash light so he knew something wasn't right.

 

Yes. On the helicopters I used to wrench on, there was a 42 degree gearbox at the end of the tail boom and a 90 degree gearbox at the tail rotor.

 

My point exactly... that sounds like a 'parts failure' in spades...

Don't know how he can say without doubt that there was no parts failure, at this point, anyway.

 

Probably, when I was younger and I had much quicker reaction time

It also depends on power setting, speed, payload, gross weight, density altitude, etc. maybe not, but I'd do my best.

http://www.copters.com/pilot/hvcurve.html

I can tell you this, two real life experiences boosted my confidence but they did result in some muscle tightening, if you get my drift.

I had two real-life autorotations in a Jet Ranger (OH-58) and one hydraulics failure on a Huey (UH1) and I reacted instinctively due to the great training I'd received.

I also landed a Huey on Daytona Beach once to check for a mast bump, and almost lost two fingers while checking a tail-rotor driveshaft bearing on the Jet Ranger. Fun times.

I think the copter that crashed probably lost tail rotor authority.

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Sorry, I was a little tense about the whole thing. I was doing a pre-flight when I saw the video of the helicopter burning on the ground. Shook me up a bit.

The ones I've been told (helicopter community) are: How can you tell a fixed wing pilot at a party? He's wearing a dress.

How can you tell there's a helicopter pilot at a party? He'll tell you.