Pa. Medevac chopper crash--inverted in flight?

[KNS]

Originally Posted by svandamme

Nice, glad you did, but I supposed there's no choice in landing spot at that point?
you had it on climb out, so still over airport real estate?

Sounds like something one might not be so lucky if it's a bunch of skyscrapers below you , or steep mountainous /forrested land?
How much control over the spiral is there at that point?

I had taken off from the north end of the airport (Hesperia, CA). Helicopters generally don't utilize the runways and at the time of failure I was over a semi rural area with trees and homes.

I was doing about 50 knots and was around 200-300 feet above ground. Even in autorotation the aircraft had a pronounced right yaw so I was in a right spiral. My first thought was: this is not a TR failure, it's something else (denial). After lowering the collective to enter the auto I bought a little power back in to check and the right yaw increased so I put the collective back down and picked the best spot I could.

All this happened in far less time that it takes to explain. In the photo you can't tell but the skids have a fair amount of spread. I was lucky that day...



Not to take away from the subject of this thread (sorry) but I think with the Pennsylvania accident, it was a combination of the crew being along for the ride (if it's some type of swash plate failure) and very good pilot skill that everyone survived.

[Seahawk]

Bump to page two.

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Absolutely.

There was a famous, at least in the Navy, of a trail failure incident while two SH-60B's were in form returning to Mayport.

They were at 1000ft agl and 120kts cruise.

The Wing Man noticed that the Leads tail rotor, while turning, appeared to be "windmilling'.

There are two design features on the 60B that helped, the first is that is a wheeled aircraft that can land like an airplane, generally at or above 70kts; the second being that the tail rotor supporting structure is designed to help the 60B fly with a TR failure above 70kts.

We actually practice all the procedures involved both in the simulator and in the aircraft.

The followed all the procedures correctly and did a 75kt landing at Mayport or Jax, I can't remember which. Post touchdown is the tricky parts since the co-pilot has to manually adjust the power control levers to get torque off the tail rotor.

Anyway. They shut down and were towed off the run way. Zero damage.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by KNS

All this happened in far less time that it takes to explain. In the photo you can't tell but the skids have a fair amount of spread. I was lucky that day...

Awesome!

[oldE]

Re: Inverted, I don't think they actually got up side down. However the videos both show the bird rotated along its longitudinal axis about 60 degrees. I would imagine inside, with the craft dropping like a stone, there would be an experience rather like being on the "Vomit Comet ". It would be a heck of a struggle to regain your seat.
Kudos to crew.

Best
Les

[svandamme]

full invert , agreed, unlikely, but enough roll and a bunt will feel plenty inverted to the nurse in the back.

[Rikao4]

that's all fine and true..
but on the way down..
ya got's to have a bit of luck..
and I really prefer 4 hands up front..

Rika

[Rikao4]

'There are two design features on the 60B that helped, the first is that is a wheeled aircraft that can land like an airplane, generally at or above 70kts; the second being that the tail rotor supporting structure is designed to help the 60B fly with a TR failure above 70kts.

We actually practice all the procedures involved both in the simulator and in the aircraft.'

Seahawk..

don't forget to call the brakes..

Rika

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Rikao4

don't forget to call the brakes..

Rika, that happened to a friend of mine. We had already pulled into Diego Garcia and were working on our two 60's at the airfield. A Sister Detachment flew off the USS Valley Forge to join us.

Shipboard, the brakes are always on.

The come in at 140kts, roll into the break and do a 70kt run-on landing. Brakes still on. The forgot that pesky landing checklist.

You could hear the two mains pop from where I sat in the hangar.

That was an awkward message (this was in 1987) back to the home squadron in San Diego.