[eye30]

Caught this on the lunchtime news

=================

A New Zealand pilot has escaped without serious injury after an accident where his helicopter's blades appeared to get caught in cables attached to scaffolding.

The helicopter was being used to help install a Christmas tree on the waterfront in Auckland when the incident happened.

Footage shows the rear end of the craft snapping off and the pilot being thrown about as the wreckage hits the ground.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15848886

[asathorny]

Is this what is euphamistically called pilot error???  Are they supposed to fly so near to overhead cables and such, if so, it doesn't insprire me with confidence.

I am very glad that no-one died and that the pilot walked away from it.

 

[Dazzler]

Wow that was spectacular.. That tail seemed very flimsy    The pilot and the people near the accident were lucky to survive... Makes it a very expensive Christmas tree now

[rustynutz]

Here's another link...
http://www.news.com.au/world/helicopter-crashes-putting-up-giant-christmas-tree-in-auckland-harbour/story-e6frfkyi-1226203241385

[Dazzler]

They interviewed the pilot on TV tonight.  He had a bit of a mark on his head...

Apparently they practiced crashing the day before 

Sorry if anyone thinks that comment was in poor taste (if so read AlanHo's signature... )

[Phil №❶]

Apparently he got distracted by a girl in a blue dress and a man with a camera 

[eye30]

Apparently he got distracted by a girl in a blue dress and a man with a camera 

I didn't see her or him

[Phil №❶]

It was a joke.  -  Ref Aircraft Quiz NSFW.

I'm not posting the link as viewer discretion is advised.

[FatBoy]

I saw this accident and was pleasantly surprised that the pilot suffered only minor injuries (as well as the lucky people on the ground).  Lucky he didn't have far to fall.  The safest place to be when a helicopter crashes like this is in the helicopter.  Parts fly away very quickly (the rotor tips in the Squirrel travel at approximately 400 knots in the hover). 

In the video you can clearly see the seat break and he is thrown partly outside the aircraft, still attached to the seat, and then ends up in the back of the aircraft on the opposite side to where he started.  We (the RAN) had issues with these seats breaking and offering little help or support during an accident.

The tail breaks due to the additional load on the main transmission when the main rotor blade hits the wire.  The tail rotor wanted to stay where it was when the body of the aircraft twisted suddenly and violently.  They could make tail booms that wouldn't crack and ripple like this one did, but then the aircraft wouldn't be able to fly.

This, to my trained eye, looks like a case of PFU.  That is only my opinion, though.  I will no doubt see the crash investigation report at some later stage.

[2i30s]

it looked like the engine broke loose and caused the helicopter to shake its self to death. 
 no doubt that slims closer to the fact than myself,he's the chopper pilot,not me. 

[FatBoy]

it looked like the engine broke loose and caused the helicopter to shake its self to death. 
 no doubt that slims closer to the fact than myself,he's the chopper pilot,not me. 

The one blade hitting the wire would have caused a major balance issue to the main transmission.  Just think if you have three rotor blades, evenly spaced and balanced, then move one dramatically and change it's position in relation to the other two, you will get an out of balance situation.  You can see the wobble as you pointed out.  It looks as though the transmission mounting failed as well (due to the out of balance main rotor).  The engine looked to stay in it's place (and kept running on the "you tube" video).  The engine in these aircraft weighs about 80kg and is located behind the main transmission (you can see the jet exhaust pipe).  They put out about 650 shaft horse power.

[2i30s]

he's lucky he wasn't up higher in the air,i don't think he would have walked away if he was higher. 
have you ever crashed, or come close to it slim? 

[FatBoy]

he's lucky he wasn't up higher in the air,i don't think he would have walked away if he was higher. 
have you ever crashed, or come close to it slim? 

Agreed, had he been much higher, then it could have ended much differently to that.

I've had a few near misses, a couple of near mid-air collisions and a couple of close shaves near trees.  I have had friends killed as well (Shark 02 on Nias Island in '05).  I knew people on the Blackhawk that crashed off Fiji, and I was instructed by people that were involved in the Blackhawk accident in Townsville in '96.  I've probably had people throw bits of lead at me, but didn't hear them and they didn't hit.  I've had other friends land their aircraft with more holes in them than when they departed too.