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Glasgow helcopter crash, first AAIB report

Monday, December 9, 2013 21:53

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(Before It's News)

AAIB (Air Accident Investigation Branch of Department of Transport) have published a Special Bulletin.

No causal found so far.

Following list is quoted extracts from the report with comment and bolding.

“At 2218 hrs, the pilot requested clearance from ATC [Air Traffic Control] to re-enter the Glasgow Control Zone and return to GCH [not known, assumed heliport]; this was approved. No further radio transmissions from the pilot were received.”
“Radar contact with the helicopter was lost at 2222 hrs.”
Weather was not exceptional.
“Preliminary examination showed that all main rotor blades were attached at the time of the impact but that neither the main rotor nor the fenestron tail rotor were rotating.”, which supports eye witness accounts.
“Once removed from the building, approximately 95 litres of fuel were drained from the fuel tank system.”
“Initial assessment provided no evidence of major mechanical disruption of either engine and indicated that the main rotor gearbox was capable of providing drive from the No 2 engine power turbine to the main rotor and to the fenestron drive shaft.” and crash damage prevented a similar check for engine 1.

Investigation continues

“some systems record fault codes, as they occur, in memory that is not crash-protected. Those, and systems that can record camera images and audio, will be examined and analysed.”
“Radar data covering the helicopter flight has been recovered. That and radio communications are also being analysed, and closed-circuit television recordings will be reviewed”

Special Bulletin S9/2013 Published – EC135 T2+ on 29 November 2013, Glasgow

Any errors or contradictions are mine, the above linked document is master.

I have seen no report on the post-mortem on the pilot, which is likely to be confidential. All we need to know is whether there was sudden death prior to the crash.

Since I reported on the accident, also reporting on the investigation is apt.

Post by co-mod