Helicopters R Us

[No False Enthusiasm]

Seeing those guys hanging off a rope underneath a modern Huey reminds me why I chose tanks...

NFE

[Kenfly]

Long Post follows. The names have been changed to protect-- well, me. Timmy- Copilot, Terry- Crewchief
The language may be offensive, my grammer worse, and parts of this may or may not have actually happened. Enough of


On January 5, 2013 we were flying an EC 145 doing Hoist training with local firefighters. We were going to do a 300ft hoist at the LZ to reset it prior to doing live lifts. On final to the LZ at approximately 30KTS and 400FT, we were slowing down and descending. Terry announced that he was going to open the R/H cargo door. Moments prior to him opening the door, the #1 ENG OUT light appeared with the following indications (N1=0, Oil pressure= 0, Oil temp= 70, TGT approximately 500 and descending, TQ=0). I knew we were fawked.

Timmy asked if ”I did that”. Hell no was my reply. Really dude, was my thoughts, why the fawk would I shut an engine down on myself on final. Really, I’m not little E (inside story). Then Timmy starts nagging on me like my wife which starts a catfight between us. So we’re going at it like two squirrels when Terry pops his head in and slaps the shit outta Timmy and said this shit just got real-Get to work. In utter amazement the following ensued.
Timmy announced that the #1 Eng just died. No shit. Like a boss, I lowered the nose to gain single engine airspeed and prayed don’t fail me now sweet gods of rotor speed. I pushed the rotor to max while searching for a landing spot. I turned left to avoid the populated areas (neighborhoods, hotels, park, liquor stores and what not) and align with the beach for a possible autorotation and bikini scope since the cause of Eng failure was unknown. No dice, it’s cold out no bikinis.

Timmy slowly rotated the # 1 Eng to idle checking for any indication and then performed a single eng emergency shutdown like he was the man. I begged him to call over the 800 operation freq and the firefighters below that we were about to die due to an eng failure and shit. He simultaneously put the nearest airport in the GPS and selected a direct course for it. Of course he did.
During his estrogen fueled hysteria,Timmy while knob dicking with the radios stranded me from the only professionals I could possibly rely on for the duration of the emergency, the crew chiefs. This unnecessary finger fawking of my avionics control panel isolated me, placing the entire weight of this life or death situation on my undersized shoulders.
I focused on keeping the A/C at a good autorotation speed and tried to gain altitude to the nearest airport expecting a loss of the #2 engine because who the fawk knows why the other one quit. Timmy backed us up on the checklist like we supposed ta while the crewchiefs were announcing that they had secured the cabin and themselves. Timmy announced an emergency on the local CTAF to clear the general aviation airplanes. It went like this. Holy shit we going down, get the fawk outta the way.

There were 2 trainers in the pattern, 1 fawkin around on the runway, and 1 doing who knows what on the taxiway. I then announced that I would try to prevent any further damage by minimizing the run on landing distance and hover if possible- not easy- we were heavy. On final to the airport at 3 feet and max transient tq, we were able to continue forward IGE flight to a safe parking area away from the other planes and did a better landing than our CPT with 2 Engines.

So we get down with the only injuries being my knuckles from a fist bump.

Then Monday, my Willys' fan decided to exit through the radiator. I am down to a DR650 or a Ural that I just rejetted and haven't ridden since. I am typing this with oven mitts and a helmet.

Hope you enjoyed

[SJSharkfan]

One hell of a first post!

Gonna be hard to top.

[emerson.biguns]

So why'd the engine quit?


.

[jdgretz]

Originally Posted by emerson.biguns

So why'd the engine quit?


.

Because it's a helicopter and he had a spare.

jdg

[Hedge36]

Originally Posted by jdgretz

Because it's a helicopter and he had a spare.

jdg

No shit. Were it not for engine failures, nobody would buy twins.

[ian408]

I mighta pooped my pants just a little.

[jdgretz]

After returning from Vietnam and being stationed at Ft. Hood, I was out boring holes in the sky when a buddy of mine flying an OH-58 ran into a bit of a problem. He was flying back to Hood AAF when lost hydraulics:

1005: Hood Tower, Army 1005. We have hydraulics failure, request straight in to the runway.
HT: 1005 Hood. Are you declaring an emergency at this time.
1005: Negative Hood, just the straight in.
HT: Roger 1005. Cleared straight in to the active winds...
(heard in the cockpit - Clackety, clackety, BANG!)
1005: Hood Tower, Army 1005. We have just had a tail rotor failure.
HT: 1005 Hood. Understand hydraulics failure and tail rotor failure?
1005: That's affirmative Hood.
UKN A/C: 1005, you shit's flaky
1005: Roger flaky.

He set it down without problem. There was an IP in the back seat but a grunt in the front.

Some days are a bit more exciting than others.

jdg

[Daz-o-matic]

Hydraulics failure AND tail rotor failure?

Setting that one down's some good flying right there I tell you whut.

[Shadow10]

Originally Posted by No False Enthusiasm

Seeing those guys hanging off a rope underneath a modern Huey reminds me why I chose tanks...

NFE

When I was doing my rookies in the jelly bean suit we were shown a number of "promotional" videos for various corps. After seeing what happened to turret heads and bucket jockeys, I chose "communications" and Tactical Air Support. Sure it got a bit noisy at times and some mil pilots could be dicks, but the food and field conditions more than made up for it.

[Kenfly]

Originally Posted by emerson.biguns

So why'd the engine quit?


.

Overspeed protection sent an eronious signal to the fuel shutoff valve. The A/C only had 1005 HRS and was a 2010 model.

[GSPeP]

[GunshipDriver]

Originally Posted by Kenfly

Hope you enjoyed

that's a ballsy move stretching it out to the nearest airfield. how far out was it from where you experienced your S/E failure? i probably would have taken it to the nearest grocery parking lot, called triple A, then got myself a beer. that is assuming i wasn't heavy and "far out" of S/E HOGE parameters...

man i miss flying... can't wait to get back to the cockpit after this ground tour...

[Hay Ewe]

Went to the new Bell / Cessna facility in Singapore today
Its HUGE, and all air conditioned, was actually cold whilst there
May be able to get some pics in a while when i go back
Its really new and they dont seem too busy yet

[v8toilet]

Getting my commercial later this year. Any recommended DVD/video training products out there? Have some great books and instructor but want to supplement/reinforce them.