30 January 2007 BBC News website
No evidence of major mechanical failure has been found in connection with the Morecambe helicopter, a preliminary report has revealed.
Flight recorders show the crew had been approaching the platform but had become unhappy with the manoeuvre and aborted their attempt to land.
The AAIB report said: "A review of the recorded data to date has not indicated any problems of a technical nature and no helicopter manoeuvres have been identified which were not in response to flight control inputs.
Also, from Guardian Unlimited
Co-pilot Simon Foddering, 33, from Preston, flew the craft from the Millom West platform at 6.26pm and was around 500 yards from North Morecambe when he got into difficulties. Flight recorders show the crew had been approaching the platform but had become unhappy with the manoeuvre and aborted their attempt to land. Mr Foddering began a "go-around" but struggled and asked for help before commander Stephen Potton, 52, took over the controls.
The helicopter, which was pitched forward at an angle of 38 degrees and banked over to the right also at an angle of 38 degrees, levelled out, but continued to gain speed. It began to roll over to the right again and when it hit the water it was travelling at a speed of around 126 knots.
The AAIB report said: "The conclusion of this preliminary examination is that there are no signs of pre-impact malfunction of any major mechanical components, including the tail rotor and its drive shaft. A review of the recorded data to date has not indicated any problems of a technical nature and no helicopter manoeuvres have been identified which were not in response to flight control inputs.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Black-box located
News reports suggest the black-box was located on 7 January, but not recovered. At this time there seem to be no clues as to why the helicopter crashed.
Friday, January 5, 2007
What causes helicopters to crash?
With bad weather hampering the collection of the black box and other evidence from the crashed helicopter, I thought it would be useful to find out a bit more about the most common causes of crashes.
I found a good summary at Crouse Law Offices website. Note, whilst I am happy to reference their site, I have no association with the company or endorse them in any way.
Their summary is below.
Helicopters are complex, sophisticated machines. They consist of engines, rotors, drive shafts, gears, electronics, flight controls and landing gear, all of which must function properly both independently and together for the helicopter to operate safely. These individual systems and their components must be designed, manufactured, maintained and operated with the utmost skill and care if the helicopter is to fly safely.
Recently, government agencies, industry and operators conducted their first International Helicopter Safety Symposium which was held in order to develop means to reduce helicopter accidents. The accident rate in helicopter flight was flat, or perhaps increasing attendees noted. The statistics presented showed that the helicopter accident rate was 7.5 per 100,000 hours of flying, whereas the airplane accident rate was approximately 0.175 per 100,000 flying hours. As the Symposium’s chairman noted: “Vertical flight is an exclusive engineering feat that only helicopters can offer. They operate close to the ground, within the earth’s boundary layer and are exposed to hazards beyond other flight vehicles. It therefore requires special attention to ensure safety of flight.” This is true in general of helicopter operations, and particular types of helicopter operations—military, fire-fighting, law enforcement, medical evacuation—are even more demanding.
The causes of helicopter accidents can be grouped into three major causal areas: Operational error, mechanical malfunction, and electrical malfunction. Within these broad categories, there are multiple underlying causes.
1. Operational Error. Although all three categories involve some degree of human error, operational error is the one where the human error is most direct and apparent. This human error can occur in flight planning, actual conduct of the flight, in training or in maintenance.
a. Failure to operate the aircraft in accordance with the aircraft’s operational limitations.
b. Operating the aircraft in unsafe environmental conditions.
c. Failing to properly plan the flight.
d. Improper maintenance
e. Improper training of flight and maintenance personnel
f. Faulty manuals, training guides, checklists and operational procedures
g. Faulty oversight, auditing and review procedures
2. Mechanical Malfunction. A component of the aircraft fails or fails to function as intended. This can happen anywhere along the component’s life.
a. Improper design
b. Inadequate testing
c. Faulty manufacture
d. Inadequate quality control
e. Inadequate operational monitoring
f. Improper use
g. Poor maintenance
h. Inadequate lubrication or cooling
i. Improper installation
3. Electrical Malfunction Here, the electrical source stops working or one of its components has a malfunction.
a. The electrical source malfunctions
b. An electrical short occurs
c. An electrical component malfunctions
d. Inadequate design
e. Inadequate testing
f. Inadequate quality control
g. Inadequate operational monitoring
Each of these elements of the three major causal areas contains its own subset of individual factors as to exactly why and how it occurs. Sometimes these factors result in minor or no aircraft damage or injury, but all too frequently they cause great aircraft damage and personal injury, even death. One thing is true as to all causes: they are preventable.
End of summary
Interestingly, searching google for "what causes helicopters to crash" brings up a number of references to an alleged case where a helicopter crashed because the pilot was maneuvering to get a view of a bikini-clad Kate Hudson (actress)
I found a good summary at Crouse Law Offices website. Note, whilst I am happy to reference their site, I have no association with the company or endorse them in any way.
Their summary is below.
Helicopters are complex, sophisticated machines. They consist of engines, rotors, drive shafts, gears, electronics, flight controls and landing gear, all of which must function properly both independently and together for the helicopter to operate safely. These individual systems and their components must be designed, manufactured, maintained and operated with the utmost skill and care if the helicopter is to fly safely.
Recently, government agencies, industry and operators conducted their first International Helicopter Safety Symposium which was held in order to develop means to reduce helicopter accidents. The accident rate in helicopter flight was flat, or perhaps increasing attendees noted. The statistics presented showed that the helicopter accident rate was 7.5 per 100,000 hours of flying, whereas the airplane accident rate was approximately 0.175 per 100,000 flying hours. As the Symposium’s chairman noted: “Vertical flight is an exclusive engineering feat that only helicopters can offer. They operate close to the ground, within the earth’s boundary layer and are exposed to hazards beyond other flight vehicles. It therefore requires special attention to ensure safety of flight.” This is true in general of helicopter operations, and particular types of helicopter operations—military, fire-fighting, law enforcement, medical evacuation—are even more demanding.
The causes of helicopter accidents can be grouped into three major causal areas: Operational error, mechanical malfunction, and electrical malfunction. Within these broad categories, there are multiple underlying causes.
1. Operational Error. Although all three categories involve some degree of human error, operational error is the one where the human error is most direct and apparent. This human error can occur in flight planning, actual conduct of the flight, in training or in maintenance.
a. Failure to operate the aircraft in accordance with the aircraft’s operational limitations.
b. Operating the aircraft in unsafe environmental conditions.
c. Failing to properly plan the flight.
d. Improper maintenance
e. Improper training of flight and maintenance personnel
f. Faulty manuals, training guides, checklists and operational procedures
g. Faulty oversight, auditing and review procedures
2. Mechanical Malfunction. A component of the aircraft fails or fails to function as intended. This can happen anywhere along the component’s life.
a. Improper design
b. Inadequate testing
c. Faulty manufacture
d. Inadequate quality control
e. Inadequate operational monitoring
f. Improper use
g. Poor maintenance
h. Inadequate lubrication or cooling
i. Improper installation
3. Electrical Malfunction Here, the electrical source stops working or one of its components has a malfunction.
a. The electrical source malfunctions
b. An electrical short occurs
c. An electrical component malfunctions
d. Inadequate design
e. Inadequate testing
f. Inadequate quality control
g. Inadequate operational monitoring
Each of these elements of the three major causal areas contains its own subset of individual factors as to exactly why and how it occurs. Sometimes these factors result in minor or no aircraft damage or injury, but all too frequently they cause great aircraft damage and personal injury, even death. One thing is true as to all causes: they are preventable.
End of summary
Interestingly, searching google for "what causes helicopters to crash" brings up a number of references to an alleged case where a helicopter crashed because the pilot was maneuvering to get a view of a bikini-clad Kate Hudson (actress)
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Post Mortem
From This is Lancashire 4 January 2007
Post-mortem examinations conducted by two Home Office pathologists revealed that in all cases except one, the men died from multiple injuries. One, Leslie Ahmed, died from drowning.
Post-mortem examinations conducted by two Home Office pathologists revealed that in all cases except one, the men died from multiple injuries. One, Leslie Ahmed, died from drowning.
Theory - gas cloud caused crash
Methane cloud may have caused helicopter crash
Published North West Evening Mail on 03/01/2007
A RIG safety expert who lost a friend in the Morecambe Bay helicopter disaster claims a gas cloud may have been to blame for the crash.
Tim Bell, from Dalton, says the doomed Dauphin helicopter which crashed with seven on board, may have flown into a methane cloud emitting from the underwater fields.
The chopper crashed last Wednesday as it approached a gas rig 25 miles from the Barrow coast, killing the two pilots and four rig workers.
One man is still missing, presumed dead, and the search for him could be resumed this week.
Mr Bell, who implemented safety recommendation on Morecambe Bay gas rigs following the Piper Alpha tragedy, claims that engines starved of oxygen may have cut off.
He said: “One such scenario that I have not seen reported is the possibility that the helicopter flew into a gas cloud. This gas could come from either the gas production processes, a gas pipeline leak or the seabed itself, particularly as the gas reservoir is shallow.
“This scenario has probably not been suggested as it requires transparency from the operating company on operating processes and their ability to detect and monitor gas clouds in helicopter flight paths.
“Helicopters approach the platforms from downwind of the platform so any gas release from the platform would be directly in their flight path.”
Mr Bell, a senior manager on Morecambe Bay gas rigs for 15 years, added: “Concentrations of gas would have different effects on the helicopter, depending on the ratio of gas to oxygen, 100 per cent gas would have the effect of starving the engines of oxygen and the engines would cut out immediately.”
Flight International Magazine safety editor David Learmount, however, said the theory was unlikely, but he said methane clouds were always a danger to aircraft. He said: “The engines lose power but they do not stop. It was something far more dramatic than a loss of power in the engine.
“Pilots are aware of hot air or methane gas. They are factors they have to take into account.”
Businessman Mr Bell, who worked with crash victim Robert Warburton, 60, a married man from Heysham, Lancs, added: “I join many others in expressing my heartfelt sympathy for their families and workmates.
“It is a close working community on the rigs, which is why all possible causes of this accident are fully investigated to prevent this accident happening again.”
Published North West Evening Mail on 03/01/2007
A RIG safety expert who lost a friend in the Morecambe Bay helicopter disaster claims a gas cloud may have been to blame for the crash.
Tim Bell, from Dalton, says the doomed Dauphin helicopter which crashed with seven on board, may have flown into a methane cloud emitting from the underwater fields.
The chopper crashed last Wednesday as it approached a gas rig 25 miles from the Barrow coast, killing the two pilots and four rig workers.
One man is still missing, presumed dead, and the search for him could be resumed this week.
Mr Bell, who implemented safety recommendation on Morecambe Bay gas rigs following the Piper Alpha tragedy, claims that engines starved of oxygen may have cut off.
He said: “One such scenario that I have not seen reported is the possibility that the helicopter flew into a gas cloud. This gas could come from either the gas production processes, a gas pipeline leak or the seabed itself, particularly as the gas reservoir is shallow.
“This scenario has probably not been suggested as it requires transparency from the operating company on operating processes and their ability to detect and monitor gas clouds in helicopter flight paths.
“Helicopters approach the platforms from downwind of the platform so any gas release from the platform would be directly in their flight path.”
Mr Bell, a senior manager on Morecambe Bay gas rigs for 15 years, added: “Concentrations of gas would have different effects on the helicopter, depending on the ratio of gas to oxygen, 100 per cent gas would have the effect of starving the engines of oxygen and the engines would cut out immediately.”
Flight International Magazine safety editor David Learmount, however, said the theory was unlikely, but he said methane clouds were always a danger to aircraft. He said: “The engines lose power but they do not stop. It was something far more dramatic than a loss of power in the engine.
“Pilots are aware of hot air or methane gas. They are factors they have to take into account.”
Businessman Mr Bell, who worked with crash victim Robert Warburton, 60, a married man from Heysham, Lancs, added: “I join many others in expressing my heartfelt sympathy for their families and workmates.
“It is a close working community on the rigs, which is why all possible causes of this accident are fully investigated to prevent this accident happening again.”
Inquest opened and adjourned
The inquest into the deaths of the six people recovered and adjourned on 2 January 2006. The seventh person was still not found.
Reported in Manchester Evening News, Lancashire Evening Post, The Times, and North West Evening Mail, amongst others.
Reported in Manchester Evening News, Lancashire Evening Post, The Times, and North West Evening Mail, amongst others.
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