Helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub

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Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,376

Hope I'm wrong, but this sounds bad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-25163045

Original post

Member for

12 years 5 months

Posts: 11

It does indeed. Positive thoughts for all involved......

Member for

11 years 5 months

Posts: 11,141

Possibly so but we do not want senior politicians posting comments on Twitter!! I suppose we should be relieved and perhaps surprised that there was apparently no fire.

Member for

15 years 1 month

Posts: 2,828

So sad to hear that there are fatalities being reported now. :(

Member for

11 years 2 months

Posts: 901

Sadly now thought to be at least 9.

Something doesn't seem right though? One engine out and it could still fly, two engines out? Unless the fuel was cut or contaminated how could two engines cut out?

If the engines quit it would still autogirate, mega gearbox fail?

Member for

11 years 5 months

Posts: 11,141

It seems that way. I found the criticism of the time it was taking to recover the bodies uncalled for and highly dismissive of the intensely difficult conditions in which the rescue teams had to work. Once again they have worked carefully and diligently to make the environment safe for the remainder of the work.

Member for

11 years 2 months

Posts: 901

Fair comment Charlie, had they dug quicker and the 'copter landed on the rescuers heads they would have been lambasted for that. A no win situation.

Member for

15 years 9 months

Posts: 652

Look at the Riga Supermarket incident, more were killed and injured when more of the roof collapsed onto rescuers.

Eventually the whole lot came down.

Member for

11 years 5 months

Posts: 11,141

Indeed - but there's no connection to the tragedy in Glasgow, is there...?

Search for Clues Begins in Glasgow Helicopter Crash

"The helicopter reportedly took off from a heliport 2 miles from the crash site and was enroute to look for a trespasser on railroad tracks about a mile away."

Read more at Flying Mag

They sent a chopper to look for a trespasser on railroad tracks?

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 10,625

It was after dark and the Helicopter has thermal imaging. It's vital to confirm a trespasser and find them before a train kills them, hence the helicopter.

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,343

Some people really are sick in my opinion...a colleague of mine came up to me the other day and said "Hey, do you know the main thing that has been learnt as a result of the accident in Glasgow?"...I replied with a cautious "No" because judging from the way he said this I already got the sense that what he was going to say next wasn't going to be nice...and he said "Pigs can fly!"...with the pigs reference being towards the Police.

I was shocked!:mad: :apologetic:

Member for

11 years 6 months

Posts: 702

So why repeat it here?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Purely coincidence I am sure, but EASA have just published an EAD on EC135/635 dated today

The fuselage tail boom structure of the EC 135 / EC 635 type design is
connected to the tail rotor “fenestron” housing by means of a ring frame,
attached by two rivet rows each. During a recent post flight check, the pilot
detected a crack which ran along three rivets across the ring frame.
This condition, if not detected and corrected, would gradually reduce the
structural integrity of the tail boom fenestron attachment, potentially resulting, in
the worst case scenario, in detachment of the fenestron and consequent loss of
the helicopter.
To address this potential unsafe condition, Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH
(ECD) issued Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. EC135-53A-029 to provide
instructions for inspection.
For the reasons described above, this AD requires repetitive visual inspections
of the ring frame X9227 and, depending on findings, accomplishment of
applicable corrective action(s).

Moggy

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 8,847

No autopsy information yet?

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,536

You would need more extensive tests to be sure it wasn't engine failure I would have thought.
An engine can stop (not break) for any number of reasons. Electrical, icing, fuel starvation (but not necessarily running out of fuel).
As for auto-rotation at 1000feet would you have time?

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,978

Very good post Moggie, all except the fact you are missing one major fact...

Preliminary examination showed that all main rotor blades were attached at the time of the impact but that neither the main rotor nor the fenestron tail rotor were rotating

They are I would imagine free turbines, so engine failure wouldn't stop the rotors.