Re: Two TV news helicopters collide in US

On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:26:58 +0100, "Enzo Matrix" <enzo55@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Damot wrote:
On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:32:58 +0100, "Fred X" <alexserv@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:47:42 +0100, FCS <sipston_777@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

On Jul 28, 3:03 pm, Martin Jay <mar...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6920156.stm>:

"Four people have died after two helicopters, owned by rival US
television channels, collided in mid-air while covering a car
chase.

[...]

Everyone on board the two craft was killed. No-one on the ground
was hurt.

Within moments of the collision, other TV news helicopters were
broadcasting pictures of the burning wreckage.

Viewers did not see the accident as both cameras were pointed
towards the ground."

Ah, I wondered why it never made broadcast except as a verbal report
but was quite busy the last few days so only heard it anyway.

Eyewitness accounts said at first they thought it was being filmed
for a movie...

Kind of one of those situations where helicopter racing is illegal
pretty much everywhere but Saudi isn't it? precisely because the
first things to contact tend to be the rotors, with another
helicopter's rotors, and it's all over in seconds for everybody
involved.

Given the kamikaze nature of helicopter collisions it's safe to say
nobody does stuff like that on purpose.


There is a video on YouTube of two helicopters colliding in Kuwait.
It's amazing how quickly two graceful flying machines can turn into
two falling pieces of scrap metal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMyoiNgiedg


***! I assume everyone died in that? Any ideas?

I would imagine so. Helicopter accidents are rarely surviveable. With an
aeroplane, a mid-air collision where the vectors are similar could leave
some aerofoil surfaces intact, with the possibility of maintaining control
in a forced landing. But as you saw in that clip, once a helicopter's rotors
are gone, there is nothing to keep it in the air. Both helicopters also
suffered a catastrophic airframe failure. They would each have lost one or
maybe two rotor baldes, leaving the remainder relatively intact. The rotor
would then have become like an unbalanced wheel and the sudden extreme
torque caused the tail boom to fail. The crews didn't stand a chance.

Even at a low altitude and slow speed, the torque from an unbalanced rotor
can cause the helicopter to roll over, turning an apparently minor incident
in a potentially fatal one. I've seen helicopters actually taxyng on the
ground which have clipped their rotor tips against a building, rolled over
and burst into flames. Also, consider what will happen to the rotor shards.
They've got to go somewhere, and they will be travelling at a hell of a
speed. When things go wrong with helicopters, it happens exceptionally
quickly and you don't want to be anywhere near it.

Look at these "lucky" sods:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N51kq2WcZGU

I like the "I apologise" comment! Christ, the cameraman was lucky as
well.


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