ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 210195
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| Date: | Thursday 2 January 1997 |
| Time: | 15:30 |
| Type: |  Hughes 269C |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | VH-UFX |
| MSN: | 470593 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Fitzroy Crossing, WA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Fitzroy Crossing, WA |
| Fitzroy Crossing, WA | |
| Investigating agency: | BASI |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot had planned to conduct a series of tourist flights from the helipad at the rear of the Lodge. A 20-metre diameter pad had recently been cleared for the operation. The pad was covered with short grass however, it was surrounded by grass up to 0.5 metres high. A shrub-like weed was also woven into the tall grass. Only one passenger was carried on the first of the tourist flights and the helicopter performed as expected. On the second tourist flight, this time with two passengers on board, the pilot flew the helicopter to a 1-metre hover and then departed towards the east. As it moved through translational-lift the helicopter descended and the right skid entered the 0.5-metre high grass around the helipad. The grass retarded the helicopter and the leading edge of the skid made contact with the ground. The helicopter started to roll to the right. The pilot attempted to stop the roll by reducing power. When this was unsuccessful he increased power to the maximum and attempted to fly out of the roll. This was also unsuccessful and the helicopter ended up rolling onto its right side. The helicopter was loaded to just under its maximum weight. The pilot misjudged the amount of excess power that would be available under the prevailing conditions and he was unable to keep the helicopter clear of the grass during the departure. The scrub-like weed provided sufficient retardation for the right skid to dig into the ground starting a roll to the right. The pilot's description indicates the helicopter had probably entered a condition known as dynamic rollover before he started recovery action. As a result, his actions did not work.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1997/aair/199700024/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4930583/199700024.pdf
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 26 May 1988 | VH-UFX | 0 | 16km W of Meda Station, WA | |
sub | |
| 5 March 1994 | VH-UFX | 0 | 38km E of Napier Downs, WA | |
sub | |
| Bounced on landing | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Apr-2018 10:39 | Pineapple | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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