mtbman07 Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Its nice to see a crash make the news that doesn't make the industry and its pilots look like you have to have a death wish to be around a helicopter. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070708/ap_on_...helicopter_down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMountainPilot Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Its nice to see a crash make the news that doesn't make the industry and its pilots look like you have to have a death wish to be around a helicopter. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070708/ap_on_...helicopter_down Well, not everything went right. It did crash. LOL You would think that newspapers and TV stations would consult with an advisor before calling rotors propellers, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstall Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Did everything go right? 1. Witness description made this sound like a compressor stall, was it an actual engine failure?2. Was the auto necessary or just panic?3. Why not auto to land?4. Why let a passenger without life vest on or inflated and who could not swim exit the helicopter? Especially while it was still afloat.5. Why did one passenger make reference to poor maintenance? Did the pilot say something?6. Was there poor maintenance involved? I think it's going to be interesting to see what the Feds dig up about Liberty. I'll wait for the NTSB and FAA to finish before I make assumptions, but some things don't sound right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 The pilot deployed yellow emergency floats and made a controlled landing, authorities said. I'm glad the pilot deployed the YELLOW emergency floats and not the BLUE ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelliBoy Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 "The aircraft was not badly damaged." Right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmfish Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 (edited) Why all the negativity? The "propeller" comment was a quote from one of the passengers. Hint: these little marks (" ") mean that somebody (a 21 year old passenger of the helicopter in this case) said it verbatim. As for the compressor stall/autorotation/poor maintenance comments, where did that all come from? Were you there? Do you work for Liberty? The article linked above gave NO information about the reason for the emergency landing, yet your first reaction is to assume the pilot ditched the bird unnecessarily? Have you ever had a engine failure in flight? Over water? Have you ever had to deploy floats and/or ditch an aircraft? I haven't, but I'd like to think that if I did, I could do everything by the numbers and keep the bird upright like this pilot did. Why don't you just give the pilot the high praise (s)he deserves for preserving the lives of ALL 8 occupants and saving the aircraft in the face of an emergency that most of us will never experience. Edited July 8, 2007 by palmfish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMountainPilot Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Why all the negativity? The "propeller" comment was a quote from one of the passengers. Hint: these little marks (" ") mean that somebody (a 21 year old passenger of the helicopter in this case) said it verbatim. As for the compressor stall/autorotation/poor maintenance comments, where did that all come from? Were you there? Do you work for Liberty? The article linked above gave NO information about the reason for the emergency landing, yet your first reaction is to assume the pilot ditched the bird unnecessarily? Have you ever had a engine failure in flight? Over water? Have you ever had to deploy floats and/or ditch an aircraft? I haven't, but I'd like to think that if I did, I could do everything by the numbers and keep the bird upright like this pilot did. Why don't you just give the pilot the high praise (s)he deserves for preserving the lives of ALL 8 occupants and saving the aircraft in the face of an emergency that most of us will never experience. No quotes around this sentence: The propellers were askew, but the aircraft, which was owned by Liberty Helicopters, did not appear badly damaged, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker. 1. Witness description made this sound like a compressor stall, was it an actual engine failure? I didn't get the impression that anyone made it sound like a compressor stall. Anyway, it has two engines. 2. Was the auto necessary or just panic? Where does it say that it was an auto? 3. Why not auto to land? Ever been to NY? 4. Why let a passenger without life vest on or inflated and who could not swim exit the helicopter? Especially while it was still afloat. Who says the pilot "Let" the passenger leave. Also, most ditching procedures I have seen recommend leaving the aircraft as soon as possible. Helicopters on floats are not very stable and can easily flip. 5. Why did one passenger make reference to poor maintenance? Did the pilot say something? Never read anything that suggested this in that article. Are you reading a different article? 6. Was there poor maintenance involved? I think it inappropriate to speculate based on the information available to us at present. Whatever the problem, the pilot did an A+ job. Everyone is still alive and that is all that matters in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmfish Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 FWIW, that's not an EC-135. Looks like an EC-130 to me. Only one engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmerryman Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 FWIW, that's not an EC-135. Looks like an EC-130 to me. Only one engine. It is indeed a single-engine EC-130 - I train at Linden where Liberty is based and see their tour ships flying around all the time. Seems like a professional operation - and it sounds like the pilot deserves praise for executing a successful landing where nobody was injured. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusty Old Dude Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 Why all the negativity? The "propeller" comment was a quote from one of the passengers. Hint: these little marks (" ") mean that somebody (a 21 year old passenger of the helicopter in this case) said it verbatim. As for the compressor stall/autorotation/poor maintenance comments, where did that all come from? Were you there? Do you work for Liberty? The article linked above gave NO information about the reason for the emergency landing, yet your first reaction is to assume the pilot ditched the bird unnecessarily? Have you ever had a engine failure in flight? Over water? Have you ever had to deploy floats and/or ditch an aircraft? I haven't, but I'd like to think that if I did, I could do everything by the numbers and keep the bird upright like this pilot did. Why don't you just give the pilot the high praise (s)he deserves for preserving the lives of ALL 8 occupants and saving the aircraft in the face of an emergency that most of us will never experience.I think you and I are just going to have to be buddies, now. My thoughts 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLHooker Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 That's about right... A pilot has an actual EP, executes well, and still is scrutinized... By peers no less. I'd rather say... Good job brother, glad to see you are ok. CHAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtbman07 Posted July 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 When I said "everything went right" obviously there are gonna be little things wrong but the main points are there. You have 8 uninjured passengers and the helicoper is upright, afloat and about as salvagable as possible. It sure sounded to me like he got what mattered right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pokey Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 When I said "everything went right" obviously there are gonna be little things wrong but the main points are there. You have 8 uninjured passengers and the helicoper is upright, afloat and about as salvagable as possible. It sure sounded to me like he got what mattered right. Yip, i agree,,,, like they say "any landing you can walk (swim, in this case) away from is a good one." Seeing as no-one was hurt, it is kind of funny that you can have things "go right" in a helicopter crash. Reminds me of that famous quote: "Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did ya like the show?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodoz Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 Its nice to see a crash make the news that doesn't make the industry and its pilots look like you have to have a death wish to be around a helicopter. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070708/ap_on_...helicopter_downAnd here's the eye-witness account....http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/0...opter.crash.cnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmerryman Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 And here's the eye-witness account....http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/0...opter.crash.cnn And here's an article which is very positive towards the pilothttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/07/09..._our_lives.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHelicopterPilot Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 (edited) To the pilot if you read this, never mind all the other negitive comments. Some pilots have pretty big egos to think that if they were in your shoes they could do better. You did a great job doing what you had to do. I am glad it turned out well. Quoted from another post:"4. Why let a passenger without life vest on or inflated and who could not swim exit the helicopter? Especially while it was still afloat." Where I fly it's standard procedure to exit the helicopter then inflate the life vest. The reason for this is with 8 vests inflated in the helicopter it can be even more difficult to get out. Also if it's inflated in the helicopter and catches something and deflates it wouldn't be much use would it. As for exiting the helicopter, there are many reasons to do so. It's not very stable on floats and there could be other damage and could sink. When it does it's fast and can roll over trapping them inside. Remember, we were not there. The PIC did everything He/She felt needed to be done to protect the lives of the passengers. That is paramount in this bussiness. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but doesn't do any good in the moment. So just give the pilot kudos for job well done! Food for thought. JD Edited July 9, 2007 by JDHelicopterPilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerbabilon Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 I fly for Liberty and I was in the air when it happened. The pilot did an amazing job and she deserves nothing but praise. If you've ever had a serious emergency this is obvious. Overreacted? What if she did? Who cares? She performed a flawless text book emergency procedure and everyone walked away with out a scratch. The blades didn't come off until a boat wake hit the helicopter causing them to strike the water. Something exploded and debris flew past the port side of the helicopter. It was followed by an abnormal vibration and decreasing NF. I've had an engine failure myself with another company and I know she performed outstanding. She blew the floats and had a soft landing without capsizing. All with screaming passengers and the thought that she was about to die. The negativity in this industry disgusts me. It makes me sick to hear people bashing her. Scumbags.. it's no wonder half the world hates Americans. About the maintenance? Yes, Liberty Helicopters maintenance is pathetic and it was only a matter of time. They balance profit Vs. Safety. If things don't improve real quick I won't be working there much longer. I already have flown 7 helicopters that have since been totaled. Had several major emergencies and know a handful of people who died. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChprPlt Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 Sounds like the pilot did an excellent job to me. Everyone is alive, thats all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/0...opter.crash.cnn In the interview, CNN fails to give the helicopter pilot credit for saving their sorry asses. Some news report. That's a lawsuit about to happen.Maybe those people should be thanking the pilots for saving their butts...Am I out of line?? -------------------- OK BYE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwalling Posted July 10, 2007 Report Share Posted July 10, 2007 I have enjoyed reading about this one and watching the news clips. Training autos are a good time, not sure about a real one into water with a ship full of screaming passengers that think they're about to die. It looks to me like the pilot did a good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOETIME Posted July 10, 2007 Report Share Posted July 10, 2007 (edited) The negativity in this industry disgusts me. It makes me sick to hear people bashing her. Scumbags.. it's no wonder half the world hates Americans. About the maintenance? Yes, Liberty Helicopters maintenance is pathetic and it was only a matter of time. They balance profit Vs. Safety. If things don't improve real quick I won't be working there much longer. I already have flown 7 helicopters that have since been totaled. Had several major emergencies and know a handful of people who died. Hey Zerb, I agree with you on all counts! It's unfortunate that people from other countries view us as self-centered, arrogant megalomaniacs! Anyway, I don't want to get on my anti-Jerry Springer soapbox , just wanted to wish you and the other pilots there the best of luck and hope the situation improves there before something else happens. Peace Edited July 10, 2007 by NOETIME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500pilot Posted July 10, 2007 Report Share Posted July 10, 2007 (edited) Zer, You took the words right out of my mouth. People should never guess about an accident until the report comes out. I thin cstall has an Axe to grind with Liberty or someone at Liberty. Tammys a great pilot and great friend and did everything right. I'm sick of the Monday morning quarterbacking here and on JH. I was at Teb when the accident occured and got a phone call from a friend who witnessed it. He said the helicopter was quite when it went down and he isnt a pilot. I instantly knew who it was and was making calls to see if everyone was all right. All I can say is kudos for Tammy. She was a true professional and did her job all the way to helping the passengers out of the helicopter. The people interviewed on CNN were just idiots. They said they had no idea how to use the life preserver, BS they get briefed before every flight and most likely didnt pay attention to the briefing. This industry really seems to eat it's own when it should be sticking together. I just hope the people bashing others dont ever have an accident. I'm sure they will love everyone second guesing thier decisions. Edited July 12, 2007 by 500pilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerbabilon Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 No word on the cause of the accident yet it's still under investigation. Well I'm no longer with Liberty because I feel their maintenance isn't up to par. There's a million negative things I can say about Liberty but I'm just going to say don't fly with them because you're truly risking your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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