Tomo Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Was emailed this by a friend to put on here. SEVEN people were hurt when a helicopter hit a metal light pole at a remote airport yesterday, which flipped the craft, crushed the pilot's cabin, and sent off a deadly explosion of fibreglass and splintered rotor blades. One man in a nearby Troopie was lucky to escape serious injury after debris punched though the windscreen like bullets, scratching his arm. A baggage handler loading one of two nearby metroliners is believed to have suffered cuts and a broken hand. The crash happened at Wadeye's airstrip about 4.30pm. Eyewitness - contractor Graham Irwin, 52 - was actually taking photos of the Super Puma as it was taxi-ing around the metroliners. He caught a one-in-a-million shot of the blades as they bashed into the light pole - and then had to fling himself out of the way of deadly projectiles. "It was a horrific accident and a miracle nothing happened, that no one was killed," he said. "To those of you who think it’s cool to whip off your seat belt while your aircraft is taxiing.......the guys inside this chopper would have been in worse shape if they hadn't been belted in." "The first of the blades hitting the pole shot (the body of the helicopter) around 90 degrees and it half crushed the cabin. I heard the noise and we all just ran, ducked. "The debris - the fibreglass, the blades - kept coming across the tarmac. Three of us straight away stepped behind a wall." He and others who had been waiting to board onto the second plane ran to help the helicopter's occupants. "The (pilot) cabin was crushed almost to their laps," Mr Irwin said. "They were very lucky." Police and fire services attended the scene. Police said the pilot, two crew members, three passengers and a person nearby were taken to Wadeye's clinic with minor injuries. Wadeye resident Mary Ayres, 60, saw the windscreen holes in the Troopie that her brother Vince was sitting in at the time. "It was just like two bullets had just been shot through," she said. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teckair Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Don't know what to say that pole looks fairly visible??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nunans Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Don't know what to say that pole looks fairly visible??? I guess, but the spinning rotor might not be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hongie Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 holy crap... i knew it would be bad if a rotor struck something faily solid... must say i didnt think it would be that bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jake.f Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Is that rotor wooden!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Evan. Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Whoa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farri Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Is that rotor wooden!?! Yeah!... Pretty much!...Wooden go any more!!!! Frank. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XAIRVTW Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Glad to see no one was seriously injured. Looks like the insurance company is now the new owner of a Super Puma! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirsty Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I work for CHC Helicopters who own/operate that Puma. There's more to the story than what you read. 1. The crew of this chopper had never been to this aerodrome before. 2. A fixed wing aircraft had started taxiing down this taxiway at the same time they were so the chopper crew were trying to make way. 3. The pole was not marked in any way - you would normally expect to see an obstruction like that marked with yellow/black stripes. The pilot is not really in trouble - probably the rear cabin crew are more in trouble as they are the pilot's eyes to some degree when on the ground or hovering close to objects on the ground. The aircraft has been written off - virtually nothing but a couple of avionics boxes were salvageable due to the nature of the strike. There is video of this somewhere - can't find it at present. Maybe on pprune?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AV8A Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I work for CHC Helicopters who own/operate that Puma. There's more to the story than what you read.There is video of this somewhere - can't find it at present. Maybe on pprune?? Just plain dumb luck really. Glad no one was hurt! (too seriously). Sure its easy to point fingers and what not. But at the end of the day I keep hearing in my head - : "Charter boat? How did you NOT see a charter boat?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirsty Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Well kind of, except in this case there should have been at least 3 sets of eyes checking for obstacles! These helicopters have a BIG rotor diameter and it takes more than just the pilot to make sure they're safe. The strike happened on the co-pilots side so it was mostly his responsibility in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaz3g Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Well kind of, except in this case there should have been at least 3 sets of eyes checking for obstacles! These helicopters have a BIG rotor diameter and it takes more than just the pilot to make sure they're safe. The strike happened on the co-pilots side so it was mostly his responsibility in this case. Can't help thinking the buck stops with the captain! kaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboplanner Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 It used to Kaz, they used to go down with their ships, But I think today's shared responsibility saves more losses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Des Funslow Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Very lucky to get out with out loss of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friarpuk Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 There is a bit of video after the fact on the NT newspaper site. Despite this being a terrible accident, the photo of the strike is a one in a million. If there is video of it then I'm sure the ATSB would be interested in seeing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friarpuk Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 You should get your friend to contact the NT news with this shot as it is a one in a million shot. I am speaking as an ex tv news cameraman. FWIW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsor68 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Is that rotor wooden!?! I am not sure but I think that is carbon fibre with all the carbon smashed out of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ozzie Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 How very lucky. There was a similar accident with a Ansett helicopter years ago on a pontoon on the Barrier Reef, as it was landing it clipped blades with another that had already landed. As the blades came apart the imbalance ripped the engine and transmission from the mounts and the assembly span down into the passenger area with devestating results. I think these people were lucky due to the blades being made of carbon fibre and they ripped off before the engine came adrift. There was also another similar accident at Sydney during the early 90's when a large helicopter clipped a hanger and ripped itself apart injuring the crew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnarly Gnu Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Oh my, that is a very expensive accident. Glad no lives were lost. It is somewhat reverse analogous to the poor birds that fly into the Greenies stupid windmills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultralights Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 the blades are usually fibreglass?carbon fibre with steel or titanium inserts. as you can see from the pics, the rotor head has dug a small trench, so the remains of the fibreglass and carbon have done a few revolutions through the dirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf jessup Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Is that rotor wooden!?! What rotor Jake ?. One in a million shot of one set of rotors into a million bits. Glad all ok and no one hurt, thats all that counts. We got 2 of these Pumas operating out of West Sale currently. Mighty big peice of machinery, might just give them a wider berth now. Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf jessup Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I work for CHC Helicopters who own/operate that Puma. There's more to the story than what you read.1. 2. A fixed wing aircraft had started taxiing down this taxiway at the same time they were so the chopper crew were trying to make way. 3.. The pilot is not really in trouble - probably the rear cabin crew are more in trouble as they are the pilot's eyes to some degree when on the ground or hovering close to objects on the ground. The aircraft has been written off - virtually nothing but a couple of avionics boxes were salvageable due to the nature of the strike. There is video of this somewhere - can't find it at present. Maybe on pprune?? Thirsty, I must say the pilots are very concious of the rotor wash , they often talk to aircraft taxying warning them of the dangers of it, also when departing and arriving with aircraft in the pattern they are proffesional in their approach and freely hand out advice to other aircraft. The pilots in this incident would have had a lot on their mind with things going on around them at a unfamiliar aerodrome. Glad everyone got out of it ok. Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andys@coffs Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 It wa Glad to see no one was seriously injured. Looks like the insurance company is now the new owner of a Super Puma! It was a super puma before it hit, afterwards not so super..... maybe the transition went from super puma to dead cat.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litespeed Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 It always amazes me how choppers completely self destruct. Soon as they touch something they are inhabited by demons that refuse to stop until total chaos happens. Very unsporting - just like a big spider, whack it and it curls up in a ball and looks heaps smaller. Glad no fatalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shags_j Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 anyone find that vid of the accident? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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