ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 153115
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| Date: | Thursday 7 February 2013 |
| Time: | 16:55 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B2 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Tasmanian Fire Service |
| Registration: | VH-EWM |
| MSN: | 3800 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Molesworth, TAS -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Molesworth, Tasmania |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
While conducting water-bombing operations the helicopter collided with terrain. The pilot, the sole person on board, suffered minor injuries and the helicopter sustained substantial damage.
The spot fire EWM was working on was not particularly large, but was on a downhill slope and in a gully. The pilot reported that the overall wind was north-north-westerly, but the fire created a localised westerly in-draft, within the gully. The pilot slowed EWM in preparation of making a water drop. Approaching the hover at about 80 ft above ground level, and immediately following the loss of translational lift (TL), the helicopter suddenly commenced an uncommanded left yaw and descent.
Without any warnings or alarms, the helicopter rotated rapidly 2-3 times to the left. The pilot raised the collective to decrease the rate of descent, and countered the yaw with anti-torque pedal input; however the rate of yaw increased. The pilot reported that “in a very short period of time” the helicopter was in the trees.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/tas-firefighters-brace-for-heat-winds/story-e6frea7l-1226572508456
2. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2013/aair/ao-2013-026.aspx
3. http://www.examiner.com.au/story/1287929/fire-chopper-crashes/?cs=94
4. http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2013/02/08/372031_tasmania-news.html
5. http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4186117/ao-2013-026_final.pdf
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 8 September 2007 | N505RA | Omniflight Helicopters Inc. | 0 | Greenville, South Carolina |  |
sub |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Feb-2013 04:04 | bp | Added |
| 07-Feb-2013 05:35 | gerard57 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Damage] |
| 08-Feb-2013 00:16 | ROTOR WORK | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Source] |
| 08-Feb-2013 03:14 | tasman26 | Updated [Source] |
| 08-Feb-2013 03:15 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn] |
| 25-Apr-2014 21:11 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Sep-2016 09:17 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Narrative] |
| 01-Jun-2022 05:11 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator, Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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