Squirrel down in Manhattan

What have you heard?
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Twistgrip
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Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Twistgrip » Mon Mar 12 2018, 00:22

Apparently happened a short time ago.
Looks like the floats were deployed.

Edit: Report from another website that a “Mayday” was broadcast due engine failure.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/11/helicopter-crashes-in-new-york-citys-east-river-reports-say.html

https://mobile.twitter.com/hklegal1/status/972985891043102720/video/1
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Evil Twin » Mon Mar 12 2018, 02:07

Looked like the driver did a good job getting it on the water to me.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby zzodr » Mon Mar 12 2018, 02:10

Geez. That water is about 3degC this time of year.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Twistgrip » Mon Mar 12 2018, 02:57

"You can watch things happen, you can make things happen or you can wonder what happened"
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby _chopper » Mon Mar 12 2018, 03:51

5 dead now =(
Looks in the video like the right front float may have failed to deploy. If that's the case, perhaps that's the cause of the rollover and the difference between 6 people shaken but uninjured and one injured and five dead.
Tragic.
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Rest in Peace

Postby rotors99 » Mon Mar 12 2018, 05:23

Looked to me like there was no flare?? Hit that water pretty darn hard
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby arrrj » Mon Mar 12 2018, 06:50

News reports that the pax were strapped in so well they had to be cut out.

I think that is why so many died.

I much prefer car type belts for that reason. But that's just me.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Icefather » Mon Mar 12 2018, 07:24

arrrj wrote:News reports that the pax were strapped in so well they had to be cut out.

I think that is why so many died.

I much prefer car type belts for that reason. But that's just me.



Although I see where you are coming from. In this case with the sunset photo flights which are offered over there they are doors off and they are actually in a 5point harness either attracted to said helicopter by one point in the floor or roof. but there is no quick release. And I’m sure the safety briefing would have covered its release but 6 first time pax trying to release an intricate latch while in freezing water after having survived a ditching really had no chance.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby rotors99 » Mon Mar 12 2018, 07:43

Icefather wrote:Although I see where you are coming from. In this case with the sunset photo flights which are offered over there they are doors off and they are actually in a 5point harness either attracted to said helicopter by one point in the floor or roof. but there is no quick release. And I’m sure the safety briefing would have covered its release but 6 first time pax trying to release an intricate latch while in freezing water after having survived a ditching really had no chance.


Every Squirrel I've flown or seen only had a 3 or 4 point harness (depending on the seat) & all with a quick release buckle??? But I've not seen everything, happy to be corrected ..... pop;
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Evil Twin » Mon Mar 12 2018, 08:02

Anyone can do a perfect autorotation when they know it's coming. To pull off a real one as the pilot did, in my opinion, should be applauded.

It's very sad that 5 have perished in the incident but we don't know the circumstances in which they were attached to the aircraft and I expect they weren't trained in HUET especially into frigid New York March waters.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Icefather » Mon Mar 12 2018, 08:03

rotors99 wrote:
Every Squirrel I've flown or seen only had a 3 or 4 point harness (depending on the seat) & all with a quick release buckle??? But I've not seen everything, happy to be corrected ..... pop;


http://bulletsandburgers.com/wp-content ... 2055-1.jpg


Please see attached, note yellow harness.... pop;
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Dauphin » Mon Mar 12 2018, 08:22

Icefather wrote:
rotors99 wrote:
Every Squirrel I've flown or seen only had a 3 or 4 point harness (depending on the seat) & all with a quick release buckle??? But I've not seen everything, happy to be corrected ..... pop;


http://bulletsandburgers.com/wp-content ... 2055-1.jpg


Please see attached, note yellow harness.... pop;


It looks like the rear seat passengers are wearing the standard Squirrel lap belts with the flip up buckle type release. Front seat pax also wearing standard front belt with shoulder harness not yet done up. The yellow harnesses look like photographer/dispatcher type harnesses which should be attached at a single hard point in the aircraft and SHOULD have a quick release handle somewhere around the chest or shoulder.
Last edited by Dauphin on Mon Mar 12 2018, 09:52, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby rotors99 » Mon Mar 12 2018, 09:47

That picture shows a separate full body harness like a riggers, worn under the standard seat belts???? Odd set-up, not shown on the preflight safety video stolen from the dark side on the same topic :arrow:

https://vimeo.com/42501875
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Little Bird » Mon Mar 12 2018, 09:51

Seems it was a FlyNYON charter with Liberty, this link shows their set-up
https://www.flynyon.com/blog/doors-off-helicopter-ride
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Queestce » Mon Mar 12 2018, 11:11

Harnesses aside, if that was a straight up engine failure and the pilot managed to get it down and flared like that I feel he's to be commended. On land everyone would probably have walked away, helo might've even stayed together. Pax with most likely no exposure suit, no HUET training, and just a standard emergency brief stand little chance with water that cold unfortunately. Poor people. Wonder what went wrong.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Eric Hunt » Mon Mar 12 2018, 20:42

OK, I will ask the question:
How legal is it to call it a "photo flight" when it is possibly just a way to get around the "no aerial tours" bit?
Last edited by Eric Hunt on Mon Mar 12 2018, 21:27, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby Twistgrip » Mon Mar 12 2018, 21:02

After escaping the drowned helicopter, the pilot, 33-year-old Richard Vance, told authorities that he thinks a passenger's piece of luggage may have caused the crash by hitting the emergency fuel shutoff button, a senior law enforcement official told CNN.


https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/pictured-the-doomed-new-york-city-helicopter-passengers-minutes-before-the-chopper-crashed-and-drowned-in-the-east-river-as-its-revealed-the-pilot-blamed-the-accident-on-one-of-their-bags-hitting-the-emergency-fuel-shutoff-button/ar-BBK8Ett?ocid=spartandhp
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby zzodr » Mon Mar 12 2018, 23:19

Isn't the fuel shutoff in a AS350 is a red handle next to the collective you pull to the rear to cut the fuel? Would have been very unlucky for that to happen from luggage.

Now the public will think from the story there is just some big red button with easy access just waiting to be knocked etc :roll:
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby AS350Driver » Mon Mar 12 2018, 23:30

Easy to get a camera strap or bag strap hooked around fcl or fc. Has happened here in NZ with tourist flights without those controls shielded by mod.
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Re: Squirrel down in Manhattan

Postby zzodr » Tue Mar 13 2018, 11:35

Ok thanks didn't know there was a shield mod for it.

So for the doors off tours, the passengers are strapped in to the yellow harness which is fastened at the rear to the seats, no quick release mechanism.
They are provided with a knife to cut-away affixed to their vest as part of the safety brief.
Plus a seat belt - buckle latch type to be used when not at the door taking pictures, and to be worn at takeoff and landing.

So the unfortunate passengers who don't have any HUET training whatsoever, get knocked around from ditching, are now upside down in the dark in water just above zero, holding their breath, expected to grab their knives, lean forward, cut the harness at the rear, unbuckle seat belt and escape. Oc:=

I think it's a safe bet that this operators way of doing things is now over.

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