Ship Down in MA, 1 fatal

[PlatoNC]

http://wbztv.com/local/Boxborough.helicopter.crash.2.1717044.html

 

 

Google-fu turned up a few things. Looks like it was one of Blue Hill Helicopter's Schweizers, didn't dig in enough to figure out which instructor was the one flying, but that isn't really the point, the people who need to know will find out soon enough. RIP, brother, still praying for student who had to be medevaced

 

 

Nick

[Goldy]

http://wbztv.com/local/Boxborough.helicopter.crash.2.1717044.html

 

 

Google-fu turned up a few things. Looks like it was one of Blue Hill Helicopter's Schweizers, didn't dig in enough to figure out which instructor was the one flying, but that isn't really the point, the people who need to know will find out soon enough. RIP, brother, still praying for student who had to be medevaced

 

 

Nick

 

Sorry to hear that, we had a R22 hit wires yesterday back east as well. Both survived that crash....which is a bit unusual on a wire strike.

 

Goldy

[Trans Lift]

He was an FAA inspector named Mike Wheeler. Very experienced pilot. They were on a CFI checkride. Sad news.

 

Hope for a speedy recovery for the student.

 

RIP, our thoughts are with the family.

[Chewie]

The student was able to talk to emergency personnel apparently. From the linked news article, "They say as part of her final training, they cut the helicopter's engine, but they could not get it restarted". They actually cut the engine in flight to (I guess) try an air restart? If it was a CFI ride, that is no where in the PTS that I know of.

[PlatoNC]

That terminology came from a woman who had just crawled out of a fatal helicopter crash and was relayed through a non-pilot Highway Patrol officer, I doubt that an FAA inspector would do anything more than roll the throttle down to idle, but we'll have to wait for the report or, hopefully, the student's recovery to know more.

[Trans Lift]

I doubt it very much. It was very hot here in MA yesterday. I presume the media took up on the word "cut". I think it was a practice forced landing and the engine quit when they rolled off on the throttle.

 

Its happened to me and many times in 300's on hot days. I dont like to speculate but I have never heard of someone actually turning off the engine and doing an air restart for a CFI checkride. I imagine it was the latter.

[PlatoNC]

http://emsflightcrew.com/node/5116

 

FAA Examiner was Mike Wheeler, former Air Methods CP

[Hovergirl]

RIP Mike. A greatloss.

[Tenacious T]

Not trying to draw conclusions about this terrible incident, but instructors- plan for every SEF/autorotation to go to the ground and have a landing area you can reach in sight. A sudden power change is the best time for an engine to quit on you.

[Mungo5]

Preliminary NTSB report is out.

[klas]

Preliminary NTSB report is out.

 

From the report:

According to firefighters who were first on-scene, the commercial pilot was extricated from the helicopter and stated she wanted to tell someone what happened prior to the accident. She said, “I was in my final training flight before being certified as an instructor...we were performing a simulated engine stall and while performing the maneuver the engine actually stalled for real.” She continued, “I was attempting to make a landing on the road, when the examiner instructed me to turn into the wind.” She stated “there was not enough wind and I was trying for the road.” According to the commercial pilot, at some point “the examiner took control of the helicopter,” at which time she stated to the examiner, “we’re going to hit the trees,” and he responded “yes we’re going to.”

 

Wow....

[jha]

http://wbztv.com/local/Boxborough.helicopter.crash.2.1717044.html

 

 

Google-fu turned up a few things. Looks like it was one of Blue Hill Helicopter's Schweizers, didn't dig in enough to figure out which instructor was the one flying, but that isn't really the point, the people who need to know will find out soon enough. RIP, brother, still praying for student who had to be medevaced

 

 

Nick

http://rememberingmichaelwheeler.com/