Auckland chopper crash - full video, Longline gone wrong [ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+

[Kai33]

heya, happend yesterday, guess its a good reminder that nothing is safe....

have a look: Youtube Video »


Admin: Embedded link

[Kai33]

Hmm, was genau ist da passiert?!

Sorry its just easier to do it in english... so here we go.

after the the sub-structure of the x-mas tree was erected the pilot tried to release the lifting-strop. unfortunately the hook didn't open due to the fact that the synthetic strop didn't packed enough weight (hooks need some weight pulling down to actually open, some models require up to 20lb)... the pilot moved to the side and down to enable ground-crew to pull on the strop to free it from the hook. as you can see in the second sequence in the video a ground-crew is jumping up to pull. now the real problem starts, since the downward pull takes all the slack out of the line it tightens up, the angle changes and it goes straight into the blades. As far as i could see on the wreck (did actually see it in person) one of the blades is quite severely damaged on the leading edge. this in turn will have caused an unbalance on the rotor-disc causing vibrations, main transmission and engine separate from the fuselage which causes damage to the tail-rotor drive shaft causing the boom to sheer of as well... e voila....

that is roughly the sequence of events