NYC Helicopter Crash

[g3org3y]

BBC said:

Family of five and pilot killed after tourist helicopter crashes into Hudson River

BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c871gxg09jjt

[rodericb]

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.


added video I could find:

Edited by rodericb on Friday 11th April 10:35

[Hub]

rodericb said:

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.

It is without tail rotor and main rotor. A bit alarming that there are manoeuvres or situations which can lead to the main rotor striking the tail and ripping them both off, as appears to have happened here. A terrifying last few seconds for the holidaymakers.

I'm sure there have been incidents before with NYC sightseeing helicopters too.

[Eric Mc]

Hub said:

It is without tail rotor and main rotor. A bit alarming that there are manoeuvres or situations which can lead to the main rotor striking the tail and ripping them both off, as appears to have happened here. A terrifying last few seconds for the holidaymakers.

I'm sure there have been incidents before with NYC sightseeing helicopters too.

There have. Tail strikes are not that rare as a cause of helicopter or autogyro accidents. Adding a touch of negative manoeuvering input - such as a sudden nose down movement, can result in the main rotors clattering the tail boom - usually with catastrophic results.

Main rotors can sometimes simply detach completely from the drive shaft - often due to fatigue failures. There was a major crash with a civilian Super Puma operating a North Sea oil rig flight a few years ago where the entire main rotor came away.

[Greendubber]

Hub said:

rodericb said:

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.

It is without tail rotor and main rotor. A bit alarming that there are manoeuvres or situations which can lead to the main rotor striking the tail and ripping them both off, as appears to have happened here. A terrifying last few seconds for the holidaymakers.

I'm sure there have been incidents before with NYC sightseeing helicopters too.

Mast bumping apparently.

If you want to be reminded how stupid some people are, if you dig into comments on X it's a government supplied mega laser that fired at the aircraft and shot it down.... FFS

[Jasandjules]

Damn.

[normalbloke]

Greendubber said:

Hub said:

rodericb said:

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.

It is without tail rotor and main rotor. A bit alarming that there are manoeuvres or situations which can lead to the main rotor striking the tail and ripping them both off, as appears to have happened here. A terrifying last few seconds for the holidaymakers.

I'm sure there have been incidents before with NYC sightseeing helicopters too.

Mast bumping apparently.

If you want to be reminded how stupid some people are, if you dig into comments on X it's a government supplied mega laser that fired at the aircraft and shot it down.... FFS

If it was mast bumping, it would be unlikely the transmission would detach as well.

[J4CKO]

Greendubber said:

Hub said:

rodericb said:

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.

It is without tail rotor and main rotor. A bit alarming that there are manoeuvres or situations which can lead to the main rotor striking the tail and ripping them both off, as appears to have happened here. A terrifying last few seconds for the holidaymakers.

I'm sure there have been incidents before with NYC sightseeing helicopters too.

Mast bumping apparently.

If you want to be reminded how stupid some people are, if you dig into comments on X it's a government supplied mega laser that fired at the aircraft and shot it down.... FFS

Must be a strange mindset where you have to find an absolutely ludicrous reason for absolutely everything.

Helicopters crash occasionally, they are complicated machines that are often operated in close proximity to stuff they can hit, and they have the added jeopardy that you can chop your own tail off if you mishandle the controls. How often does a "tail bump" happen, is it easy to do.

I see Dave Fishwick, he of "Bank of Dave" fame enthusiastically explaining helicopers, their costs and how they are operated, really is worth seeking his videos out.

I have never actually been in a Helicopter, still want to despite seeing things like this, you can drop dead on the floor quite effectively having never lived, and avoid all the stuff that might involve death because you might die.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

J4CKO said:

I have never actually been in a Helicopter, still want to despite seeing things like this, you can drop dead on the floor quite effectively having never lived, and avoid all the stuff that might involve death because you might die.

I have, once, and I said afterwards "never again". The whole thing is just far to flimsy for my liking. It was like flying in a badly built kit car, where you could see daylight between gaps in the bodywork. Plus the noise.

I don't think of myself as risk averse, I fly in planes around 50-60 times a year and used to ride a 900cc sports bike. But these things fall out of the sky far too often, so it's a hard NO from me.

[Yertis]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

J4CKO said:

I have never actually been in a Helicopter, still want to despite seeing things like this, you can drop dead on the floor quite effectively having never lived, and avoid all the stuff that might involve death because you might die.

I have, once, and I said afterwards "never again". The whole thing is just far to flimsy for my liking. It was like flying in a badly built kit car, where you could see daylight between gaps in the bodywork. Plus the noise.

I don't think of myself as risk averse, I fly in planes around 50-60 times a year and used to ride a 900cc sports bike. But these things fall out of the sky far too often, so it's a hard NO from me.

Likewise, although admittedly only those little Robinson things. And apart from the machine itself, which is just as you describe, alot of them (including the ones I rode along in) are 'flown' by people whose wealth and ego is out of whack with their ability as airmen.

[TriumphStag3.0V8]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

J4CKO said:

I have never actually been in a Helicopter, still want to despite seeing things like this, you can drop dead on the floor quite effectively having never lived, and avoid all the stuff that might involve death because you might die.

I have, once, and I said afterwards "never again". The whole thing is just far to flimsy for my liking. It was like flying in a badly built kit car, where you could see daylight between gaps in the bodywork. Plus the noise.

I don't think of myself as risk averse, I fly in planes around 50-60 times a year and used to ride a 900cc sports bike. But these things fall out of the sky far too often, so it's a hard NO from me.

I have done a helicopter tour over Manhatten and it wasn't anything like that. It felt comfortable and well screwed together, no daylight through anything but the windows. OK, yes, it was noisy but helicopters are. I would absolutely do it again.

[catfood12]

Crikey, on the second video you can see the rotors tumble to the ground with what looks like a chunk of the gearbox still attached. Really shocking. Not just a Jesus bolt failure here then....

That looks like a Longranger There's a big sign in them that say 'Low G Pushovers Prohibited' or something along those lines.

Most likely boom strike, but could be mechanical failure. Just as easy I would suggest to overtorque and destroy the gearbox as a boom strike. I guess any pre-crash maintenance records will show if the former is more likely.

I was at Thruxton when the Twin Squirrel crashed after having a new gearbox fitted about 20 years ago. Still makes me sad. Overtorque on the new gearbox as the factory had changed the input shaft anti corrosion coatings and not told everyone.

[durbster]

rodericb said:

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.


added video I could find:

The footage of the helicopter in the dive is unrelated, and from 2019:
https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/fact-check/no-vi...

[Earthdweller]

Yertis said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

J4CKO said:

I have never actually been in a Helicopter, still want to despite seeing things like this, you can drop dead on the floor quite effectively having never lived, and avoid all the stuff that might involve death because you might die.

I have, once, and I said afterwards "never again". The whole thing is just far to flimsy for my liking. It was like flying in a badly built kit car, where you could see daylight between gaps in the bodywork. Plus the noise.

I don't think of myself as risk averse, I fly in planes around 50-60 times a year and used to ride a 900cc sports bike. But these things fall out of the sky far too often, so it's a hard NO from me.

Likewise, although admittedly only those little Robinson things. And apart from the machine itself, which is just as you describe, alot of them (including the ones I rode along in) are 'flown' by people whose wealth and ego is out of whack with their ability as airmen.

A mate of mine has a holiday place right up the north west tip of Scotland

I was chatting to him the other day and he said there was a rumour in the village that a local contractor chap had bought a helicopter

My mate laughed .. but then had to go and see him as he's doing some work

At the back of his house are some sheds and my mate asks him what's this about you buying a helicopter ?

To which he's shown into a shed and there is a helicopter sitting there

My mate says wtf have you got a licence can you fly it?

Answer no but it can't be that hard can it and no one will know anyway

This guys in his 70's

[catfood12]

Earthdweller said:

A mate of mine has a holiday place right up the north west tip of Scotland

I was chatting to him the other day and he said there was a rumour in the village that a local contractor chap had bought a helicopter

My mate laughed .. but then had to go and see him as he's doing some work

At the back of his house are some sheds and my mate asks him what's this about you buying a helicopter ?

To which he's shown into a shed and there is a helicopter sitting there

My mate says wtf have you got a licence can you fly it?

Answer no but it can't be that hard can it and no one will know anyway

This guys in his 70's

Exactly this. Colin McRae's PPLH had expired when he binned his helicopter killing his son and son's friend.

I spent a lot of time in Southern California, most of the fixed wing general aviation lot were taught to fly by a chum and were unlicenced!

[rodericb]

durbster said:

rodericb said:

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.


added video I could find:

The footage of the helicopter in the dive is unrelated, and from 2019:
https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/fact-check/no-vi...

Whoa thanks for finding that

[TriumphStag3.0V8]

rodericb said:

durbster said:

rodericb said:

The footage of it is full-on. The video I saw showed it pulling a pretty steep dive but nothing between that and it falling to the ground sans tail rotor.


added video I could find:

The footage of the helicopter in the dive is unrelated, and from 2019:
https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/fact-check/no-vi...

Whoa thanks for finding that

Without wishing to be facetious as people have died.... but "I'm not a helicopter expert....." and "it doesn't have the spinny thing" .... glad that we have expert commentary available on this type of incident.

That said, terrible incident and very sad for all involved. Lucky it landed in the river and not over land as there would have been many casualties. Be interested to hear the official cause when they work it out.

[Scrimpton]

catfood12 said:

Earthdweller said:

A mate of mine has a holiday place right up the north west tip of Scotland

I was chatting to him the other day and he said there was a rumour in the village that a local contractor chap had bought a helicopter

My mate laughed .. but then had to go and see him as he's doing some work

At the back of his house are some sheds and my mate asks him what's this about you buying a helicopter ?

To which he's shown into a shed and there is a helicopter sitting there

My mate says wtf have you got a licence can you fly it?

Answer no but it can't be that hard can it and no one will know anyway

This guys in his 70's

Exactly this. Colin McRae's PPLH had expired when he binned his helicopter killing his son and son's friend.

I spent a lot of time in Southern California, most of the fixed wing general aviation lot were taught to fly by a chum and were unlicenced!

Planes are easy though, helicopters aren't!

[mac96]

Scrimpton said:

Planes are easy though, helicopters aren't!

All I know about flying a helicopter comes from Chickenhawk, the Robert Mason Vietnam memoir. Sounds well nigh impossible and certainly not something to teach yourself!

[IanH755]

TriumphStag3.0V8 said:

Without wishing to be facetious............

..........and yet a few words later, you are.

For clarity, it was the streamers chat which got him to watch this breaking news in real time, so that was the raw unfiltered reaction of someone who is the equivalent of a "random man on the street" seeing it, hence their admitted and understandable lack of knowledge.