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Started By
Message
re: Baton Rouge PD helicopter crashes in Erwinville (2 dead)
Posted on 3/27/23 at 9:52 am to Traveler
Posted on 3/27/23 at 9:52 am to Traveler
quote:
AIRCRAFT TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A TREEE AND CRASHED INVERTED IN A FIELD, PORT ALLEN, LA.
The initial report's specificity indicates the accident was witnessed by ground based personnel, a good thing for the investigation ahead. The how and why is unknown and any explanation for cause this morning would be pure speculation.
Compared to other rotary-wing aircraft, Robertson's do have a long history and poor reputation for reliability and accidents. They're popular as a low cost alternative for private pilots and small governmental and commercial organizations. New cost for a similar more capable small helicoptor, the MD 369 Hughes 500 derivative, is easily 4x a new R44 costing around $500k.
They have other issues but Robertson's tendency for the rotor to unload in low G force conditions and mast-bump is the single issue that keeps me from never flying in one.
I've flown in many other commercial use helicopters without concern. I prefer my pilots come from military experience, where they've flown to the limits far more than civilian trained pilots, and usually have more IFR flight hours.
The L.A. Times published a Robertson R44 article in late 2018 that examined the airworthiness issues.
LA Times R44 Article
Hate to see this accident occur, condolences to the families and prayers for the lost souls aboard.
1
Posted on 3/27/23 at 9:56 am to BeepNode
quote:
So they just fly around with no stated purpose all the time?
I was told by a BRPD Supervisor yesterday that they helo is "unsupervised" and takes off / lands when the pilots want. If officers need the bird, they get on the radio and ask if it is up or not.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 10:09 am to Huey Lewis
quote:
Based on the flight path map posted further up I think this is the spot where they were turning around:
LINK
For posters with aviation knowledge - is it possible based on the flight path map that they could've hit that tower in the dark? Or would an event like that not match up with the flight path map?
My theory is similar. According to flightaware/ADS-B, their altitude was 300' right over 190. When they peeled off to the south to end the pursuit, they climbed a little and went right over some transmission lines at 394' according to sectional chart. I don't think they'd be near trees as mentioned in prelim report.
I think they may have clipped lines/tower/guy wires as they turned south-then-east. I think they then tried to gain altitude while still under power (for possible autorotation) and assess the situation as they meandered to the north. The collision with wires/tower/guys could have damaged rotor or tail rotor that could have caused vibration to allow the flight to continue a little before coming apart.
The ADS-B shows last signal at 1300' and 3-4 minutes after the initial turn south then east. You would think if they struck something, they would have had time to make a radio transmission to someone.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 10:34 am to Dominate308
why the frick you still commenting.. we saw what you said you low life piece of shite.
quote:
Dominate308
Posted on 3/27/23 at 11:35 am to Btrtigerfan
quote:
Exactly. The flightaware history shows them in a steep climb to 1300 feet. That doesn’t seem normal.
That doesn’t really tell you anything with a helicopter as they’re designed to climb vertically.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 11:39 am to Mr Breeze
quote:
The initial report's specificity indicates the accident was witnessed by ground based personnel, a good thing for the investigation ahead.
Someone witnessed the crash yet it wasn't reported until 4-5 hours later?
Or is this in reference to the FAA investigators actually being abole to visit the crash site?
This post was edited on 3/27/23 at 11:52 am
Posted on 3/27/23 at 1:59 pm to TheSadvocate
quote:
BATON ROUGE - The WBRZ Investigative Unit learned the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control tower was unmanned at the time a BRPD helicopter with two officers went down Sunday morning, killing them.
WBRZ has learned that the FAA staffs BTR’s airport control tower. Employees work there for 19 hours a day, but between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., no one is in the tower.
Flight data shows the BRPD chopper took off around 2:26 am and crashed at 2:38am. It was in the air for 12 minutes. During that window, it appears no one was tracking the flight from the control tower. The crashed helicopter was found sometime before noon on Sunday— at least eight hours after it went down.
The officers were in pursuit of a suspect, according to sources. A preliminary report sent to the FAA indicates the tail hit a tree causing the helicopter to crash. WBRZ has made an editorial decision not to identify the officers until BRPD does.
Autopsies are pending for both men. Because they died in an air crash, the FAA is sending a special autopsy kit to the coroner's office which will have to be used as part of the investigation. Those kits are supposed to arrive sometime Tuesday, the West Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office said.
Air traffic control tower was unmanned at time of deadly BRPD helicopter crash
Well, well, well. What do we have here?
Posted on 3/27/23 at 4:10 pm to Breauxsif
Posted on 3/27/23 at 4:24 pm to GumpInLex
Looks like Sgt Poirrier was the pilot.
He held a commercial rotorcraft license but no instrument rating.
He held a commercial rotorcraft license but no instrument rating.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 4:59 pm to Breauxsif
quote:
Well, well, well. What do we have here?
SOP for smaller regional airports. Towers aren’t always manned.
But I’d think someone at BRPD should’ve been checking on the departments copter.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 5:09 pm to Breauxsif
The question should be what is the normal flight following procedure?
Posted on 3/27/23 at 5:28 pm to choppadocta
quote:
I'm not gonna come out and say they're more dangerous than any other aircraft considering how many of them are used in flight training especially the 22 and 44. How...
Thanks for the answer, from an intellectual POV I figured this would be the answer. I will move my Robinson "phobia" from founded to unfounded, however, I will most likely continue my practice of avoiding the R22/R44.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 6:01 pm to GumpInLex
Damn. I have a picture of my daughter in that helicopter from the 2019 touch a truck. She still talks about it. I think Scotty was the one that lifted her up and put her in the cockpit. Every helicopter we see she asks if that’s the one she ‘flew’
Posted on 3/27/23 at 6:30 pm to Dominate308
frick you. One of the guys was my cousin.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 6:33 pm to MSTiger33
Very sorry for your loss
Posted on 3/27/23 at 6:35 pm to Dingeaux
quote:
This is incompetence. How does a helicopter and two passengers go missing for hours?
Is there any type of control tower system?
Control Towers are only for the space within about 5 miles of an airport (more for class B). ATC is a network of controllers, not in towers, who cover all controlled airspace. However, helicopters are often on VFR flight plans, or they are flying VFR without a flight plan.
A VFR flight plan has a termination time, after which search and rescue will be activated.But a VFR flight without a flight plan has no such provision, and the only way to know about that crash is if they have ground support that is looking out for them.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 6:40 pm to blight
quote:
if your brain doesn’t have the point of reference, it won’t realize if your turning left, right, or even going up or down.
Yeah but there are instruments in the plane, like an attitude indicator. All you have to do is use them. I fly in clouds all the time. It’s no big deal.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 7:51 pm to Penrod
quote:
It’s no big deal.
Maybe not to you, but it might have been to these guys. I think it was definitely an issue to the UH-60 crew out of Hammond (MOJO-69) that crashed a few years ago in western FL.
I'm sure the Blackhawk pilot was instrument rated, but he still flew into the water. Apparently, this pilot was not.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 7:52 pm to Penrod
I could understand spatial disorientation in fog or over water at night, but there’s plenty of lights in this area to give the guys An idea of up from down. Not criticizing them, just perplexed.
I wonder if they weren’t flying really low and went into an ascent to try and go over the trees or tree the FAA said they hit. Clipping it with the tail rotor?
Or did they land in the cane field to take a piss or something and hit the tree trying to depart?
I wonder if they weren’t flying really low and went into an ascent to try and go over the trees or tree the FAA said they hit. Clipping it with the tail rotor?
Or did they land in the cane field to take a piss or something and hit the tree trying to depart?
Posted on 3/30/23 at 10:27 am to TheSadvocate
quote:
Description: AIRCRAFT TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A TREEE AND CRASHED INVERTED IN A FIELD, PORT ALLEN, LA.
quote:
Their altitude was never lower than 350 feet during the flight. I highly doubt this.
Well well well
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