Heli-Ski Accident

[Guest JetboxJockey]

It is the only reason this happened. The customer didn't reach up and put the cyclic inputs in for the pilot. This is an issue. The "ride" is being in a helicopter. This is a tool of the job not a toy. I don't hear about taxi drivers doing donuts with customers on board. I have seen videos of these guys on Instagram doing these types of things this year. It the management isn't aware they aren't looking and don't care to. This could have killed 7 people. Heli ski is already dangerous enough. That why you need high time to deal with the pressure from the guides and customers so why is the blame being deflected to the clients and customers when we are supposed to have the experience to say no?

 

Time to put on about big boy pants and run this like a long term career/business and not so you get free drinks at the lodge that night...

 

@16,000 + hrs. one would hope that the driver had learned to say NO at some point while accumulating those hrs.

 

The video speaks for itself.

 

One can only wonder how many more accidents TRK's insurance can endure.

 

[snark]

Yes you are correct, I'm not trying to deflect the blame to the clients or customers. I believe there are factors that led to the incident though that allowed that situation to develop. The management should be held accountable for allowing that behavior in the aircraft, but as well the job site should be reviewed for factors that also allowed that style of flying to develop. It can't be the first time a thrill ride maneuver was completed on the job site, and I would guess the pilot on this one wasn't the first to perform such a maneuver so it does become a Norm and when that happens your risk goes way up. If this had not led to a serious accident and almost taken the lives of 7 people, would he be flying that machine on that job site after his free drinks that night? You bet he would be. It's really easy to blame an individual in this industry and we do it all the time. The pilot absolutely should have known better, but its easy to get blinders on and become comfortable when bad practices become Norms and SOP's. I don't think this accident is 100% the pilots fault, there were factors and issues that allowed him to find himself in that situation. Take those away and this wouldn't happen.

[R0T0R]

Yes you are correct, I'm not trying to deflect the blame to the clients or customers. I believe there are factors that led to the incident though that allowed that situation to develop. The management should be held accountable for allowing that behavior in the aircraft, but as well the job site should be reviewed for factors that also allowed that style of flying to develop. It can't be the first time a thrill ride maneuver was completed on the job site, and I would guess the pilot on this one wasn't the first to perform such a maneuver so it does become a Norm and when that happens your risk goes way up. If this had not led to a serious accident and almost taken the lives of 7 people, would he be flying that machine on that job site after his free drinks that night? You bet he would be. It's really easy to blame an individual in this industry and we do it all the time. The pilot absolutely should have known better, but its easy to get blinders on and become comfortable when bad practices become Norms and SOP's. I don't think this accident is 100% the pilots fault, there were factors and issues that allowed him to find himself in that situation. Take those away and this wouldn't happen.

Well said Snark. It changed my perspective a bit for sure. I agree that management should have stepped in before it became a norm.