Accident HAL Dhruv VT-BSN,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 141892
 
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Date:Sunday 15 January 2012
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic ALH model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
HAL Dhruv
Owner/operator:Border Security Force (BSF), opb Pawan Hans Helicopter
Registration: VT-BSN
MSN: DCWF-05
Year of manufacture:2010
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:near Mana (VARP), Raipur -   India
Phase: En route
Nature:Test
Departure airport:Mana Airport (VARP)
Destination airport:Mana Airport (VARP)
Investigating agency: AAIB India
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
A Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) VT-BSN, suffered an accident at Raipur Aerodrome at 06:57 UTC. The helicopter was undergoing a Vibrex Check for Dynamic Balancing after Tail Rotor (TR) blade paint touch up work. On completion of first part of the check in ‘Out of Ground Effect’ (OGE) hover, the PIC had initiated a vertical descent wherein descent rate became high. He raised the Collective pitch lever to arrest the descent which further aggravated the situation. The descent continued and the helicopter impacted ground uncontrolled. It bounced upwards after the initial impact and settled back on runway after rotation through approximately 360 degrees.
The helicopter was extensively damaged and all five occupants, including two Flight Crew received injuries to varied extent. There was no fire.


Probable Causes and Contributing Factors
The accident is attributed to loss of Situational Awareness by the PIC wherein he allowed the helicopter to enter Vortex Ring state during vertical descent. High rate of descent in low power settings had led to onset of the phenomenon. The Flight Crew failed to recognize the condition, therefore, stipulated recovery actions were not initiated. Instead, the PIC attempted to arrest the descent by raising Collective lever which aggravated the situation. Crew’s fixation to vibrations’ history of this helicopter and other speculated failures contributed towards misjudgement of the situation. Limited experience on type and inadequate knowledge of the helicopter systems also contributed towards the accident.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: AAIB India
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-bsf-helicopter-crashes-in-raipur-three-injured-1637796
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmlrb9mOYT0 (video)

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
15-Jan-2012 03:37 gerard57 Added
15-Jan-2012 05:05 RobertMB Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
15-Jan-2012 17:24 RobertMB Updated [Registration, Cn, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
15-Mar-2013 21:18 TB Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
15-Mar-2013 21:26 TB Updated [Total occupants, Source, Narrative]

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