Helicopter Flight Information
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Helicopter Flight Information |
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Rotor strikes account for more than 6 percent of helicopter accidentsIt has been brought to my attention that I must better define what I mean by 'rotor strikes'. In this article I am referring to rotor contact with stationary obstacles such as hangers, sign posts, trees, etc. There are an alarming number of rotor strike accidents most of which occur upon landing or departure. I often wonder what it is that makes landing so close to something, so important to some pilots. Unfortunately we won't be able to ask many of these pilots, because their foolish actions killed them and unfortunately, others as well. I have observed some pilots landing much closer to fueling stations because they just don't want to pull the hose any further than they have to. In most cases, rotor strikes end with fatalities and serious injuries. It would seem that this is the result of off-airport landings, however many are actually at airports. Often pilots become overconfident, complacent, and in many cases, just plain cocky. They begin to land in completely inappropriate places, and very close to buildings as indicated above. I have begun to think that these pilots think that if the rotor does hit something, they will be able to recover and reposition, and this will not be the case. I know it is not pleasant to roll the helicopter on those ground wheels, but when necessary, that is a part of flying. It is hard to convince an overconfident pilot that he or she is taking inappropriate risks. Statistics show that most accident pilots have fewer than 400 hours, with the largest number of accidents occurring by pilots with less than 300 hours total time. This is not always the case, but a good point of fact. Pilots with more experience are usually wiser, and won't take the risks that inexperienced pilots will. Many rotor strike accidents are the result of the pilot failing to allow sufficient clear area for the tail rotor and as a result the tail rotor is destroyed resulting in a hard landing or crash. These accidents have ranged from vegetation strikes, to fences, and just about anything else you can imagine. Pilots must remember that during a rotor strike with a stationary object, a loss of control will almost certainly occur. Even if the strike does not cause rotor separation from the aircraft, the rotor will be knocked seriously out of balance, and the results will likely be disastrous.
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