SLC heli down....

Saw that story earlier... still seems pretty hard to know what happened; it's hard to imagine the tail rotor spontaneously separated, though I don't know. Transmission seized maybe? (Total guess.)
 
deyoung said:
Saw that story earlier... still seems pretty hard to know what happened; it's hard to imagine the tail rotor spontaneously separated, though I don't know. Transmission seized maybe? (Total guess.)
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A tail-strike is one of the possibilities. This can happen in some helos. There was a R66 that came down in South Dakota a couple of years ago, tailboom in one place, rest of the helo somewhere else.
 
weilke said:
A tail-strike is one of the possibilities. This can happen in some helos. There was a R66 that came down in South Dakota a couple of years ago, tailboom in one place, rest of the helo somewhere else.
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Yes. There is a lot of flex in helo blades. If you yank on the collective, the rotor atc can drop into the airframe. There is a video somewhere of a USMC H-53 doing aerial refueling and chopping its own fuel probe off.

AH1s have a nasty habit of chopping pilots heads off. We used to see a lot of 'tunnel' strikes on the H-46s.
 
RIP to the dead guys, but not such a big surprise. A helicopter is just ten thousand parts rapidly circling an oil leak.
 
On further reading.. it looks like this one crash took out both of the key operators of the airport......
Hope for the best.... but .. It could cause the airport to close up for good...

sad deal for sure...:sad::sad::sad:
 
steingar said:
RIP to the dead guys, but not such a big surprise. A helicopter is just ten thousand parts rapidly circling an oil leak.
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Same oil leak that pulls your corroded plank around the skies. At least helicopter parts get looked at post manufacture.
 
Report said they were doing a test flight for track and balance. Possibly a factor. Been on some rough track & balance flights myself. Never really looked forward to them.
 
RotorAndWing said:
I've done lots of them (track and balance). It never should get out of hand if procedures are followed.
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At least not to the point of resulting in an accident, no. I've been on a couple flights were the intial adjustment by the maintenance test pilot resulted in a blade flapping a foot down off the nose. That doesn't make for a smooth ride.
 
I guess my question would be.....

Why two people on a test flight..... Maybe one flying and the other monitoring the balancing unit ??:dunno::dunno:
 
N801BH said:
I guess my question would be.....

Why two people on a test flight..... Maybe one flying and the other monitoring the balancing unit ??:dunno::dunno:
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Yep. Generally the pilot flys and a mech rides along with a micro vib kit taking readings. Sometimes it requires only a couple flights and the anaylizer calls it good. The other day I did about 6 run ups and 5 test flights before it was in limits. Took most of day. That's why I don't really look forward to track & balance days. Could be an hour, could be 8 hrs.
 
Fearless Tower said:
AH1s have a nasty habit of chopping pilots heads off.
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Mast bumping and separation...this a short description of one such incident...

"A Marine Corps major was aboard a helicopter at the test pilot school in 1980 when a mast bumping and separation killed his pilot but left him alive. Equipped with a parachute, he pulled his door handle in an effort to bail out, but was unable to open the door. Finally, he broke the handle.

But by the time he was outside the helicopter and had pulled his ripcord, he had hit the ground. An instant later, the helicopter fell on him, according to the Navy investigation."

AH-64's were good about taking the PNVS off the nose as well...if the force trim is released on the ground
 
Velocity173 said:
Yep. Generally the pilot flys and a mech rides along with a micro vib kit taking readings. Sometimes it requires only a couple flights and the anaylizer calls it good. The other day I did about 6 run ups and 5 test flights before it was in limits. Took most of day. That's why I don't really look forward to track & balance days. Could be an hour, could be 8 hrs.
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Interesting.....
I know the ACES balancing unit the mechanic uses here will record and store data.... Maybe they had one that does the same thing and it will disclose a severe out of balance situation....
 
What causes the need for a track&balance flight ? Can this get ou tof adjustment spontaneously or does this only happen if you replace/repair blades ?
 
weilke said:
What causes the need for a track&balance flight ? Can this get ou tof adjustment spontaneously or does this only happen if you replace/repair blades ?
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It's usually a conditional thing. Hub, blades, transmission replacement usually mandates a track & balance. Outside of that, ours is a 12 month unless the crew reports an unusually rough ride then the mech will get at it when he gets time. Tail rotor requires a track & balance at intervals as well.
 
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