[Peetwo]

Update - 18/12/17: Preliminary report released.  

Update to Hobart tragedy.

Via the ABC online news:

Hobart Airport crash: ATSB examining RotorLift helicopter incident which killed Roger Corbin


Updated 25 minutes ago Wed 8 Nov 2017, 6:54pm
Photo: Emergency personnel near the wreckage of the RotorLift helicopter at Hobart Airport. (Supplied: Luke Bowden/The Mercury)

A 33-year-old pilot remains in a serious but stable condition at Royal Hobart Hospital as aviation authorities continue to investigate a helicopter crash at Hobart Airport that killed flight instructor Roger Corbin.


Photo: Roger Corbin had more than 35 years' experience in the aviation industry. (Supplied: RotorLift)

The airport resumed normal operations this morning following the crash yesterday afternoon near the runway.

Roger Paul Corbin, a 57-year-old flight instructor and owner of RotorLift Aviation, was killed and a male pilot was seriously injured.

The AS350BA Squirrel helicopter VH-BAA was on a training flight when it nosedived into the ground shortly before 5:30pm.

Inspector Natasha Freeman said it remains unclear which of the men was flying the aircraft.

"The circumstances surrounding the crash are being investigated, and at this point it is not possible to say who was in control of the dual control aircraft at the time," she said.



Photo: RotorLift helicopters were used for civilian, corporate and government purposes. (Facebook: RotorLift Aviation)

Inspector John Ward said the drop from a height of about 200 metres had a devastating effect.

"It appears to me it's pretty much broken in half, certainly been a write-off. It's come from 200 metres to the ground," he said.

The wreckage of the helicopter, which belongs to charter company RotorLift, has been taken to a secure area.

The crash was witnessed by many people at the terminal and four people, including two ground staff, gave statements.

Hobart Airport was shut down last night after the accident, disrupting the travel plans of hundreds of passengers.

Three inbound flights were diverted to Launceston and the passengers bussed to Hobart.

Three outgoing flights were cancelled. Airport operations returned to normal this morning.

The Australian Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it had sent two investigators to probe the cause of the crash:

"The ATSB is investigating the accident involving a AS350BA Squirrel helicopter, registered VH-BAA, that occurred at Hobart Airport, Tasmania on 7 November.
"The helicopter collided with terrain, fatally injuring one of the two persons on board.
"The ATSB deployed a team of two transport safety investigators to the accident site with expertise that includes aircraft operations, engineering and maintenance. While on site, the team will examine the wreckage, gather any recorded data, and interview witnesses."

The ATSB said it would release a preliminary investigation report "in approximately 30 days".

"A final report into the accident may take up to 12 months to complete. However, should a safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify those affected and seek safety action to address the issue."

Video: Crews respond after helicopter crash at Hobart airport (ABC News)

Via the ATSB: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/inv...-2017-109/

Preliminary report

Published: 18 December 2017

At about 1635 Eastern Daylight‑saving Time[1] on 7 November 2017, a Eurocopter AS350BA (AS350) helicopter, registered VH-BAA, departed Hobart Airport, Tasmania for a local training area to the northeast. On board were a pilot and instructor and the flight was the third training flight of an AS350 helicopter-type endorsement for the pilot.

The endorsement training was conducted over a two-day period. It included ground school training, and three flights that formed the practical component of the training syllabus. One instructor had assessed the first two flights but, since the third focussed on emergency procedure training, the occurrence instructor elected to fly with the pilot.

The pilot held a Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Licence and a valid Class 1 Aviation Medical Certificate. The pilot had experience flying other turbine helicopter types, on various types of operations. The pilot’s existing low-level and sling approvals, which were reportedly held on a foreign licence, were also to be assessed during the AS350 type endorsement.

Following arrival in the training area, the pilot’s general helicopter handling and low-level flight were assessed. At about 1715, the pilots reported to air traffic control that operations in the training area were complete and requested a clearance back into the Hobart Airport control zone, to conduct practice emergencies. The approach to the airport reportedly involved conducting a simulated hydraulic system failure to the helicopter training area X-Ray (Figure 1).

Training Area X-Ray was located adjacent to and west of the main runway and was familiar to the pilot, as this area was used in the previous day’s training.

Figure 1: Approximate flight path of the helicopter (not to scale), showing the approach to the X-Ray training area, where the helicopter slowed before making an abrupt left turn and impacting terrain.

Source: Airservices Australia, modified by ATSB

The instructor reportedly announced the simulated failure to the pilot just prior to commencing the approach. The pilot responded to the simulated failure by stabilising the helicopter and reducing the airspeed to about 60 kt, in accordance with the manufacturer’s hydraulic failure procedure detailed in the aircraft’s flight manual.

The flight manual emphasised that, without hydraulic assistance, the flight controls exhibited force feedback requiring the pilot to exert additional force on the controls to maintain 60 kt in level flight. The manual also stated that, after transitioning to the recommended safety speed range, the second phase of the hydraulic failure procedure was to transition to slow run‑on landing[2] (at around 10 kt) via a flat final approach in to the wind. The pilot reported that, as the helicopter decelerated and descended towards the landing area, they noted the additional control forces required.

A video camera installed at the airport recorded footage of the helicopter’s final approach. As the helicopter descended toward training area X-Ray, it initially appeared to be controlled and in a flatter than normal approach profile. The helicopter then appeared to slow into a high hover about 30 ft above the ground. Seconds later, it commenced an abrupt nose-down turn to the left and impacted the ground.

The training procedure section of the helicopter flight manual cautioned pilots to:
…not attempt to carry out hover flight or any low speed manoeuvre without hydraulic pressure assistance. The intensity and direction of the control feedback forces will change rapidly. This will result in excessive pilot workload, poor aircraft control, and possible loss of control.

The impact forces caused significant damage to the cockpit area, particularly the left pilot side (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Damage to the helicopter showing significant impact damage to the cockpit area and left landing skid tip, consistent with a left nose-down attitude on impact.


Source: ATSB

Seated on the left side, the instructor sustained fatal injuries, while the pilot seated on the right was seriously injured.

The investigation is continuing, and will analyse the evidence obtained during the on-site investigation phase. Additional work will include a review of the:

• conduct of training operations
  
• helicopter systems
  
• any environmental influences that may have affected the operation of the helicopter at the time of the accident.
  

MTF...P2