Farwest Crash Stave Lake

[raqattack]

The following should give us good reason as to why pilots cannot afford to become incompetent, even for an instant. In this case an altimeter setting on the shoreline most likely would have prevented the accident, notwithstanding the fact that the pilot most likely also came in "hot", (Most pilots know or should know that if you hover in slowly you will create much ripple which will get rid of the glassy effect, however it will still be difficult to judge altitude without a reference nearby)

 

See Farwest thread this site.

Aviation Investigation Report

Helicopter Roll-over - Glassy Water

Far West Helicopters

Bell Helicopter 206B C-GCQT

Devils Lake, British Columbia

26 October 2005

 

Report Number A05P0262

 

Summary

The Bell 206B helicopter (registration C-GCQT, serial number 492), equipped with fixed float landing gear, was carrying out lake water sampling operations for Environment Canada. It departed Chilliwack, British Columbia, with one pilot and two Environment Canada employees on board. Their mission involved landing on lakes north of the Vancouver lower mainland area to collect water samples. Following landings on eight different lakes, where the winds were light and variable, they attempted to land on Devils Lake, where the wind was calm. The water was quite glassy and was shaded from the sun by hills. The pilot made a shallow approach from the south to the middle of the lake, with reference to the shoreline 200 to 400 metres away and some small ripples on the water.

 

Before the pilot anticipated touching down, the helicopter struck the surface of the lake and flipped onto its back. It remained afloat supported by the floats, but the cabin was submerged. The passenger from the back seat and the pilot were able to exit the wreckage, but the passenger seated in the left front seat was unconscious. The passenger who had escaped the wreckage rescued the front-seat passenger but she died about six days later from injuries received in the accident. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The accident occurred at about 1300 Pacific daylight time.

 

Ce rapport est également disponible en français.

 

 

Other Factual Information

The helicopter had recently been overhauled. It was equipped with a normal complement of flight instruments, including an artificial horizon, directional gyro, pressure altimeter, and vertical speed indicator. It was not equipped with a radar altimeter. Inspection of the records and the wreckage revealed no anomalies, and the pilot reported that there were no problems with the helicopter.

 

The helicopter left Chilliwack at about 1100 Pacific daylight time with fuel for about two and a half hours of flying, and had flown in and out of lakes in the area for about two hours prior to the accident. The pilot was seated in the normal right front position for the Bell 206B. Dual controls were not installed and the left front seat was occupied by a passenger. In that position there was also about 40 pounds of data-gathering equipment. The other passenger was seated in the aft left seat. They were all wearing inflatable life vests. Next to the aft passenger there were water sample gathering equipment and samples that had already been collected.

 

 

 

 

In addition to the normal survival equipment, Far West Helicopters included a satellite telephone in a watertight case. After the three occupants were out of the wreckage, the phone was retrieved from the helicopter. The pilot called 911 and had the operator pass the appropriate information to Far West Helicopters.

 

Weight and balance calculations indicate that the helicopter left Chilliwack weighing close to its maximum take-off weight for fixed float operations and that its centre of gravity was about 1.5 inches aft and about 0.73 inches left of the main-rotor mast. At the time of the accident, the helicopter weighed about 200 pounds less than at take-off, and the centre of gravity was adjacent to the mast about 0.72 inches left - well within the centre of gravity limits.

 

 

 

 

Examination of the helicopter wreckage revealed that the upper deck, where the main transmission is attached, was torn and the transmission was dislodged from the airframe. The drive from the engine was disconnected. One of the helicopter's main-rotor blades broke on contact with the water and penetrated the cabin/cockpit area. The floats, which are inflatable, were still intact, and all of their compartments appeared to be at normal air pressure.

 

The pilot had extensive experience flying helicopters, including some on floats. He held a valid commercial helicopter licence, was trained as required, and was appropriately rested before the flight. He was wearing a flight helmet, which showed damage from the accident.

 

The passengers had flown in this type of helicopter many times before and had recently received underwater emergency escape training. Neither passenger was wearing a helmet.

 

 

Analysis

Because there was no activity - wind or other - on Devils Lake, the water surface was flat. This condition caused the water to act as a mirror. This phenomenon is known as glassy water. When glassy water conditions exist, humans are not able to judge, with accuracy, the distance to the surface of the water by looking at it. In this occurrence, the pilot was trying to land on a surface an unknown distance below the aircraft. The helicopter was still travelling forward and down at a rate that caused the floats to dig into the water on contact, and the helicopter flipped over, likely around the left front corner.

 

When the main-rotor blades struck the water at normal rpm (a tip speed of about 750 km/h), one blade broke and skipped on the surface of the water. As the helicopter continued to pitch forward and roll left, it rolled onto the broken blade. The blade penetrated the front of the helicopter, and wreckage debris struck the pilot and the front-seat passenger on their heads. The pilot was wearing a helmet, which protected him from serious head injuries. The front-seat passenger received critical head injuries.

 

Recent underwater emergency escape training gave the conscious passenger the knowledge and experience he needed to help him remain calm, escape safely, and rescue the unconscious passenger from the submerged wreckage.

 

 

Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors

Glassy water conditions impaired the pilot's ability to judge his height above the lake, and during the landing, the helicopter's floats contacted the water before the pilot expected them to, dug in, and the helicopter flipped over.

 

 

One of the helicopter's main-rotor blades broke on contact with the water and penetrated the front of the helicopter. Wreckage debris struck the pilot and the front-seat passenger on their heads.

 

Other Findings

The pilot was wearing a helmet, which protected him from serious head injuries.

 

 

Recent underwater emergency escape training contributed to one passenger's ability to safely escape from the helicopter and rescue the other passenger from the submerged wreckage.

 

 

A satellite telephone was available; this contributed to prompt accident scene response.

This report concludes the Transportation Safety Board's investigation into this occurrence. Consequently, the Board authorized the release of this report on 14 February 2006.

[donnybrook]

removed......

[412driver]

it was this accident close to our operations that put me back in a helmet.....

 

after 8 years of IFR/offshore in a headset, it is taking a little getting used to....

 

interesting thing is that all of my students have ordered a helmet now as well :up:

[raqattack]

it was this accident close to our operations that put me back in a helmet.....

 

after 8 years of IFR/offshore in a headset, it is taking a little getting used to....

 

interesting thing is that all of my students have ordered a helmet now as well :up:

 

Fat lot of good that would do for the client. As harsh as this may sound, this woman is dead because the pilot wasn't paying attention.

[Reddog]

Plinko

 

You were looking for examples of uses for a RadAlt?

[raqattack]

Of course not redog. I was looking for examples of use of the brain.

[gwk]

Having done my fair share of water sampling, mineral sampling, and scotch sampling, to say that the pilot was not paying attention is abit harsh.

It is truly unfortunate that someone died, but remember, that pilot did not wake up that morning with the intention of having an accident and killing someone.

It is far to easy to sit here and make calls, when we have not heard the pilots side of story.

I am sure all of us has been in a situation where if both sides where heard, a much clearer picture would emerge.

I have no doubt that there is more to the storey, and that it would no doubt go along way in explaining things.

As far as the radalt, it would not have made the situation worse, and might have saved a life

[sharkbait]

Raqattack:

Those are some pretty harsh unforgiving words.

Like GWK I too have done a lot of float flying, both on fixed wing and Helicopter.

 

While regretting both the accident and the tragic death I feel your attack unjustified.

 

Can't say I agee with your " Hover slowly " method of glassy water operations either. I wouldn't do it.

[raqattack]

The whole story is within the accident report, just put yourself in his seat. Rotor wash causes ripples as I am sure you know, assuming you've actually flown a helicopter on floats, (ergo goes the "Glassy water") A radar altimeter would have been of little use and no mechanical malfunctions were found. What would have saved the life of the pax is due care and attention

 

I am not sorry I have no pity for the pilot, and neither should anyone else.

[sharkbait]

The whole story is within the accident report, just put yourself in his seat. Rotor wash causes ripples as I am sure you know, assuming you've actually flown a helicopter on floats, (ergo goes the "Glassy water") A radar altimeter would have been of little use and no mechanical malfunctions were found. What would have saved the life of the pax is due care and attention

 

I am not sorry I have no pity for the pilot, and neither should anyone else.

 

Just hang on there a sec Mr. Raqattack:

 

Pardon ME! Did I not say I have? You are, therefore, calling me a liar!

 

How many hours do you have doing float landings on water in a 206 or any other a/c for that matter? You did not state where you got your expertise.

 

Just how do you, using your procedure, plan to get low enough over the glassy water for your "ripples" to start forming? Why would a radalt have been of little use? Even taking into account possible radalt errors over glassy water it sure would not have hurt.

A heck of a lot of glassy water accidents have occured when the pilot thought he was still at 100 feet or so.

Thanks for the definition of "glassy water" I had no idea.

FYI I've got a couple of 100 hrs or so in this type alone. Probably another 4 or 5 hundred in the 206 on bags

I hope that if you ever have an tragic accident people are not so cruel to you.