Vih Kamov Accident

[R0T0R]

Job well done by the crew, way to go.

 

 

I have to hand it to the Russians, they can certainly make a machine that can take a beating. Based on the pic the airframe looks like it held up pretty well.

[pilot5]

No kidding if it was and EC or bell product they would probably be nothing left. Funny how those Russion space technolgy and the re try vehicles also hold up. Properly designed and built. Had a buddy who crashed a Mi 8 CFIT and he too walked away.

 

An few lessons could could be learned from he Russians when it comes to " pilot care" unfortunately the American western courage mentality discludes this over built technology based on cost. Sure there are fancy crash proof g absorbing seats but what about the air frame. They made some good advances with the angry egg and the bell Mediums ar OK but Bell and EC can't hold a candle to the Kamov or Mil stuff.

 

Glad the crew are fine.

 

P5

 

 

[Harmonic_Vibe]

Thank god the crew is safe and walked away... Having had several of those "loud bangs" followed by "violent shaking" where I "couldn't read the instrument panel" I can attest to the speed with which your adrenal glands function! The Kamov is most definitely built like a tractor and is the only helicopter I have seen where an 8 lb sledgehammer is a required tool.. or maybe it was a 6-pounder, but it was big and loud when trying to remove gearbox fittings!

 

I just want to make a comment on crashworthiness.... Helicopters are designed to absorb vertical impacts and I do think sometimes the designers (and obviously the approving authority) assume they will not be rolling down a hill after the initial impact. That being said, a Huey is an incredibly safe aircraft to "crash" in as many many many pilots can attest to.

 

I put a 206 in the trees sideways after the turbine exploded (and took out the tailrotor) and all 4 of us walked away without a scratch, so it is clearly also a good machine when it comes to energy absorption and occupant safety.

 

The backseat of a 500 is quite safe due to the protection afforded by the canted frames that surround you, not so much in the front in many possible circumstances.

 

Conversely I have been to the scene of several Mi-8 crashes where no one was quite so lucky.

 

Factors that make the most difference in an accident are forward speed, and the aircraft attitude at impact, more than anything else that I am aware of.

 

An Astar is very well designed to take a "typical" helicopter crash but isn't the machine of choice for rolling over, if there is such a choice out there.

 

Where am I going with this? Nowhere except to say that luck is probably the biggest factor in surviving an accident (I can personally attest to this) and the best way to survive is to avoid having them to start with.

 

Obviously the boys (both excellent and long time pilots who anyone would be happy to sit next to in an aircraft) in the case of the Kamov didn't have much choice but most accidents are caused by decisions made by the pilot. A friend of mine told me that he changed his attitude towards decisions he made while flying by imagining his children behind him in the aircraft. That was an epiphanic moment for me and I now do the same thing. It is amazing at how much your envelope of acceptability (not for everyone but for some) contracts when you picture your kids sitting behind you.

 

B and A, Great job getting KHL down to where everyone walked away... And let's hope that we don't have anymore accidents this year. In a fairly slow season there have been way too many.

 

Think of your kids or your passengers' kids before making that decision about what you are capable of. Not trying to offend anyone that ever had a decision based accident, just trying to share what I have found works for me and for others I know...

 

Definitely don't rely on the crashworthiness of the machine to correct any faux pas!!!

 

HV