OT: Red Helicopter Crash

[ashokan]

I saw a video of a red helicopter (tail number N350LH) crashing in the East River. Realized it was from Liberty Helicopters - the same company that was used to fly Schiano and Flood around. It was their third accident in 11 years. RU still flying the scarlet helicopters?


Five dead, pilot is sole survivor of helicopter crash in NYC's East River
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/11/us/new-york-city-helicopter-accident/index.html


Fatal helicopter crash is third involving 'Liberty Helicopters' company in past 11 years
http://abc7ny.com/fatal-helicopter-crash-is-third-involving-company-in-past-11-years/3203186

 

[mildone]

Not a whole hell of a lot of gliding going on when a Helicopter breaks down mid flight.

 

[rubaseball78]

I used to work for a company with locations in NJ and Manhatton. They had a fleet of helicopters that would shuttle people between NY and their 2 NJ locations. It was great. I could leave for a meeting in NY 30 minutes before meeting and make it on time. Suffered two crashes. One crash landed in the Staten Island dump; no injuries but a VP on board. 2nd crashed in East River. 2 of 4 employees on board died; both pilots survived. Cause was structural issues with helicopter. Found same flaw on others in fleet. Helicopter program was discontinued.

 

[ashokan]

Not a whole hell of a lot of gliding going on when a Helicopter breaks down mid flight.

One of my roommates was an older student who was a helicopter mechanic in the Air Force (Carter years). His stories about crashes pretty much convinced me not to use helicopters unless I had to. I never liked Schiano using a helicopter even though a car in NJ is no promise.

On video, yesterday's river landing doesn't look unsurvivable. I read it was the harnessing that made it hard for passengers to escape.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Tragic

 

[RU FR8DOG]

Back in the 80’s, as a fixed wing Instructor at an airport with a large rotor wing school, I would often go on maintenance rides with them to kill time. Engine out in a helicopter is out harder than plan than fixed wing. The quick explanation is you allow the ship to descend at a rate to keep the rotor disk spinning (sorta like loading up potential energy).
At the last moment, they would “pull pitch” on the collective so to use that stored energy on the disk to slow your rate of descent at touch down to something more survivable with little to no momentum left in the rotor.
Again, this is coming from an fix wing guy, but from that video it looked his angle of descent was pretty shallow. So either he had some partial power or a plan gone bad on the auto rotation.

 

[fischy5000]

On video, yesterday's river landing doesn't look unsurvivable. I read it was the harnessing that made it hard for passengers to escape.

Do you (or anyone) know if it is normal that one would need help to get out of their protective harnasses in a standard situation ending a trip? (as in someone/employee has to unhook you upon arrival or was it something specific to how they ended up after this crash?)
Crazy...when you watch the video it seems like the best possible landing you could have hoped for...(and if it werent for the issue of getting unstrapped it seems like everyone would have been ok).

 

[theRU]

Shocked those things aren't designed to float like planes... the crash didn't kill them..they drowned....My worst possible nightmare.

Read somewhere the pilot stated the emergency fuel shut off was hit by a passengers gear?

 

[Knight Shift]

NJ.com has this story:
Helicopter charter company in NYC crash helped Rutgers football recruitment

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

NJ.com has this story:
Helicopter charter company in NYC deaths tied to Rutgers football recruitment

fixed it for you..... I think you were being too optimistic in their likely approach....

 

[rutgersal]

I actually was going to advocate for Ash to use the helicopter. When Schiano used it, it was an event at whatever school he touched down at. It helped differentiate Rutgers and it was cool. Too bad this idea is out the window now.

 

[Knight Shift]

fixed it for you..... I think you were being too optimistic in their likely approach....

How about:
Helicopter charter company in NYC helped crash Rutgers football recruitment

 

[RUnTeX]

Can't spell crash without Ash?

Company running helicopter transportation chose red paint for its fleet to align with Rutgers' spirit color of scarlet...why can't Rutgers do anything right....story at 11.

 

[RU1977]

Looks like pontoons inflated, but the news said that the right side didn't inflate properly. If they did it would have been a much better landing with a better outcome.

 

[Knight Shift]

"A federal official told The Associated Press the pilot told authorities he believed a passenger’s bag might have hit an emergency fuel shutoff switch."

http://pix11.com/2018/03/13/cause-o...people-killed-in-east-river-helicopter-crash/

That's tragic, but WTF with an emergency fuel shutoff switch exposed to where a passenger's bag would hit it?

"all died due to accidental drowning, according to the medical examiner"

Glad that was cleared up.

 

[RUforester72]

The pilot should have checked to be sure that no bags were stowed in that area. What the hell is a bag doing in the front of the ship anyway?

 

[jreacher1]

I read today that it may have been a safety harness tether that shut off the fuel.

 

[Caliknight]

Every time I get in a helicopter I am fearful for my life. They seem like the most dangerous of transport options.

 

[Knight Shift]

The pilot should have checked to be sure that no bags were stowed in that area. What the hell is a bag doing in the front of the ship anyway?

That is true. Shouldn't there be some sort of safety device covering or preventing accidental activation of an emergency shutoff switch?

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Every time I get in a helicopter I am fearful for my life. They seem like the most dangerous of transport options.

never been in one and this is why...I just know it'll be me the first time I do lol!

 

[Scarlet dollar]

I won't get on any aircraft that has just one engine.

 

[greenknight]

Problem with helicopters are they have way too many moving parts to make them fly...not so much in an airplane. Very tough to maintain all the moving gears. Would never step foot on one especially a private one

 

[FastMJ]

Have never ridden on a helicopter and never will unless I'm being medevac'd somewhere and then I've got bigger problems.

 

[RUforester72]

I've spent some time in helicopters during forest fires. I prefer the glide ratio of fixed wings vs. rotary wings.

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

fixed it for you..... I think you were being too optimistic in their likely approach....

like clockwork................

 

[Knight Shift]

Holy cow, close call. N351LH vs. N350LH.

 

[RUtix4me]

Surprised no one has blamed Flood yet. Anyway shouldn't the pilot have helped the paassengers rather than simply unbuckle and bail??

 

[TheHandOfChaos]

Every time I get in a helicopter I am fearful for my life. They seem like the most dangerous of transport options.

Helicopters are the most dangerous mode of travel because by design, a helicopter in operation is the only vehicle which is always dynamically unstable. Even in modern helicopters with stability augmentation, flying helicopters is tough bc pilots have to make constant corrections to pitch and roll. Take ur hands off the stick of a helicopter in flight and most helicopters will be out of control in a matter of seconds

 

[rubaseball78]

Surprised no one has blamed Flood yet. Anyway shouldn't the pilot have helped the paassengers rather than simply unbuckle and bail??

Easy to say sitting behind a computer screen. Much different when helicopter has flipped upside down and is submerged.

 

[GSGS]

The company involved has just adopted a new slogan: "Give me Liberty and give me Death".