ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 153372
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| Date: | Friday 22 November 1991 |
| Time: | 09:12 |
| Type: |  Bell 214ST |
| Owner/operator: | Lloyd Helicopters |
| Registration: | VH-HOQ |
| MSN: | 28121 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1983 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 17 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Timor Sea, near Skua Venture platform -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Skua Venture floating production facility |
| Troughton Island, WA | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
On 22 November 1991 at 09:12 hours Australian Central Standard Time (CST), a Bell 214ST helicopter, registration VH-HOQ, was ditched into the Timor Sea alongside the tanker vessel "Skua Venture", at Latitude 12'30" south, Longitude 124'25" east, shortly after takeoff from a floating production facility.
The two crew and 15 passengers evacuated uninjured from the floating helicopter, prior to the right main flotation bag being punctured (with the tear extending across 4 cells, possibly by an open bladed knife used to cut the raft painter) and the helicopter capsizing.
The ATSB (then BASI) report (B/916/1017) concludes that at a critical stage of the takeoff, at an altitude of approximately 120 feet above the sea, one of the engines experienced a high-side speed excursion. This was followed by an aircraft main rotor speed increase which illuminated a cockpit indication warning that the aircraft main rotor speed was out of limits.
The captain reacted to what he thought was an engine power loss by lowering the collective, which is the prescribed response to that situation, thereby unloading the main rotor which rapidly accelerated to 116.7%. The electrical control unit of the ungoverned engine, sensing a power turbine overspeed, actuated the fuel sequence valve to shut off fuel to the engine.
As the over speeding engine accelerated, the other engine, while attempting to compensate, decelerated to idle power because of the lowered collective command. The captain's action in lowering the collective exacerbated the rapidity of the event, and because of insufficient aircraft altitude, there was not enough time for the engine still under power to pick up the load, or for the captain to take further corrective action to avoid a sea ditching.
At the time of the emergency, the captain was demonstrating a takeoff to his co-pilot.
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1991/aair/aair199100020.aspx
2. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=50777
3. http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:OLDASSET::svPath=/fsa/1999/sep/,svFileName=huet.pdf (photo)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Feb-2013 04:06 | TB | Added |
| 25-Feb-2013 03:35 | TB | Updated [Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 04-May-2014 17:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-May-2014 17:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport] |
| 17-Aug-2014 10:32 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Aug-2014 10:32 | Aerossurance | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 17-Aug-2014 17:35 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Aug-2014 14:26 | TB | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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