Follow up on the R 44 'Cadet' Helicopter Crash in Rowlett Texas.

[OneHungLow]

A follow up to this accident which was noted here just over a year back.

Possible mast bumping, leading to tail severance while practising hovering at altitude.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/276846


https://rumble.com/v13ts9f-robinson-r44 ... aphic.html

[Boac]

The dramatic video may be misleading, but if, as Juan said, it was to 'practice hovering' it does seem to be rather high for that exercise? As all 'hoverers' know, the difficulty in doing so increases with height.

No information given on the 'new' CFI/QHI experience general and on type?

[OneHungLow]

The dramatic video may be misleading, but if, as Juan said, it was to 'practice hovering' it does seem to be rather high for that exercise? As all 'hoverers' know, the difficulty in doing so increases with height.

No information given on the 'new' CFI/QHI experience general and on type?

Not unusual to get some experience of hovering at altitude, usually prior to the vortex ring recovery exercise as you have to effectively bring the helicopter to almost a full stop to achieve this aerodynamic state and it is far safer to practice this at high altitude, allowing at least 5000 feet safety margin, as one descends at quite a rate if a fully established vortex ring recovery is required.

Polar helicopters are my guide to the syllabus.

https://polarhelicopters.co.uk/ppl-trai ... -syllabus/

All I know is that the CFI, was, as you noted, newly minted, with one month on the job.


I note that the student was a fixed wing pilot. One wonders if muscle memory overcame him and he pushed the cyclic forward thereby unloaded the rotor which is a good way to bump the mast and/or chop the tail rotor off.

[OneHungLow]

No information given on the 'new' CFI/QHI experience general and on type?

I note that the CFI was noted as "student of the month in 2019" at her training establishment. She notes she had only flown the R22 to up that date.

I am guessing she was a relatively low hours helicopter pilot who had just passed her instructor qualification at the time of this accident.

https://maunaloahelicopters.edu/student ... yna-trout/

[Boac]

My memories of trying to hover the bonajet at 5000' were horrendous, especially with the potentially lethal yaw/roll trap of the jet with any forward speed.

[FD2]

Canterbury wedding helicopter crash: Newlyweds, photographer file lawsuit against Robinson Helicopter Company in US https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/canterbur ... UBNH2XQ2M/


A newly married New Zealand couple and their wedding photographer have filed a personal injury lawsuit in the US against Robinson Helicopter Company and several aircraft parts manufacturers after suffering severe injuries in a crash two years ago.

Fay El Hanafy and Mahdi Zougub had just exchanged vows and said “I do” in front of their closest family and friends when guests watched on in horror as the helicopter taking the newlyweds away for a photoshoot plummeted to the ground.

The young couple, along with photographer Rachel Jordan, were badly injured when the R44 helicopter crashed onto Terrace Downs Resort golf course in Mid Canterbury on June 12, 2021.

R44 crash.png (195.19 KiB) Viewed 354 times

[G~Man]

Not unusual to get some experience of hovering at altitude, usually prior to the vortex ring recovery exercise as you have to effectively bring the helicopter to almost a full stop to achieve this aerodynamic state and it is far safer to practice this at high altitude, allowing at least 5000 feet safety margin, as one descends at quite a rate if a fully established vortex ring recovery is required.

Please do NOT attemtp to practice VR at 5000'......are you asking to die. There is no need. I am a check airman and have my pilots demponstrate entry and recovery on their annual checkrides, but we make it realistic.

Can you give me an example of when you would need to hover at altitude as a ppl? No... leave it to the professionals doing news---that is the only people who really do it. And yet....there are numerous so called encpounters with VR that end in tears. What are they doing when thhey supposedley enter? Normal approaches right? Therefore, why not simulate an approch with a "hard deck of 1,500'? Here is how I do it:

• At 1,500' and 60kts, conduct a 360 clearing turn
  Wiith the wind off your right side, pull the nose up 15 degrees and lower collective to not balloon up
  Now wait.....and wait....and wait.....
  The aircraft will slow down, you will be slightly nose high and as the speed comes below ETL, a descent will start.
  Once you feel the initial stages of entry...initiate a recovery.
  From initiating recovery to being recovered you should NOT lose more than 200'

The other way I do it, is to have my guys fly a traffic patter at 1700', with a simulated pond at 1500' and they pretend they have a bucket on a 100' long line.
Once on final and speed is coming down thru 25 kts, I tell them they "mis-judged" the altitude of the pond and they need to lose an additional 100' feet fast---this normally means they lower collective, increase rate of descent and get incipient VR.

A good thing to practice for someone like yourself who does not fly that often, and is being brainwashed about VR, is to do this:

Go to 500' 75kts and practice slowing all the way down to a hover, and then all the way back up to 75kts, but MAINTAINING altitude within 25'. This will tach you all about the backside of the powercurve which is where most people get int rouble because they do not understand it..... (It takes more power to fly slower, and less power to go faster-----green light momment...).

Good luck----I expect a report...

[OneHungLow]

Not unusual to get some experience of hovering at altitude, usually prior to the vortex ring recovery exercise as you have to effectively bring the helicopter to almost a full stop to achieve this aerodynamic state and it is far safer to practice this at high altitude, allowing at least 5000 feet safety margin, as one descends at quite a rate if a fully established vortex ring recovery is required.

Please do NOT attemtp to practice VR at 5000'......are you asking to die.

A good thing to practice for someone like yourself who does not fly that often, and is being brainwashed about VR, is to do this:

Go to 500' 75kts and practice slowing all the way down to a hover, and then all the way back up to 75kts, but MAINTAINING altitude within 25'. This will tach you all about the backside of the powercurve which is where most people get int rouble because they do not understand it..... (It takes more power to fly slower, and less power to go faster-----green light momment...).

Good luck----I expect a report...

Sir, I hear you, and will modify, and your practical advice is one of the reasons I love this site.