Apache Crash

dell30rb

dell30rb

Final Approach
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http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/a...pache-incident


Video of an apache crash in the afghan mountains. No one was killed. The pilot misjudges a maneuver and the helo hits the ground, bounces, loses the tail rotor and crashes into the snow.

I'm guessing the pilot may have misjudged the maneuver because of the altitude - the helicopter did not have as much power or bite to pull out of a dive as it would at lower altitude
 
Settling with power.

You can see the blades were coned. Pulling more pitch exacerbates the situation.

That said however most likely didn't have enough altitude for a proper recovery, or as you said - misjudged. The misjudgment began when he decided to start the maneuver however.
 
jaybee said:
Settling with power.

You can see the blades were coned. Pulling more pitch exacerbates the situation.

That said however most likely didn't have enough altitude for a proper recovery, or as you said - misjudged. The misjudgment began when he decided to start the maneuver however.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

The maneuver was probably predicated with: "Watch this!!"
 
It appears as if it's been taken down already? :(
 
I thought settling with power happened during a hovering maneuver; vortex ring etc. This guy had at least 30kts on.

 
I hate the term settling with power honestly. Vortex ring state is better. In this case I would say incipient - just like airplane stalls can be fully developed or incipient. If you pause the video around :23 you can see that blades are coning so he's pulling pitch as he's descending. Could have had incipient vortex ring state at top of the "ag turn", broke it with forward airspeed but not enough altitude, also at the bottom you can see he started to flare before contact which can also induce vortex ring state. May not have had it at all, **** if I really know just my best guess. But no not just a hover only thing. Fatal traps for Helicopter Pilots has some good vortex ring state explanations.
 
Hotdogging pilot just trashed a multi-million dollar helicopter, he should have to pay for it! And he almost did with his life.
 
I think exceptions can be granted for a pilot of an attack helicopter operating in a war zone.

Though not engaging a target he was executing a maneuver he was taught in training. If it were me, and he had a clean record I would not necessarily throw the book at him.
 
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dell30rb said:
I think exceptions can be granted for a pilot of an attack helicopter operating in a war zone.

Though not engaging a target he was executing a maneuver he was taught in training. If it were me, and he had a clean record I would not necessarily throw the book at him.
Click to expand...

Again, best guess here - I'm familiar with what would happen in the AF, I suspect the Army to be similar.

If he doing training, as in he wrote up a proposal to the OIC and was signed off to do training then he most likely can still salvage a career.

If he was doing a sortie and decided to hot dog it when he got back... most likely he will not have a career to look forward to.
 
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