Video: helicopters collide over Kuwait

[eric_from_texas]

I'm pretty sure this happened in Kuwait City assuming that tower in the beginning is one of the Kuwait Towers (http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/KW/KuwaitTowers.html). As a civilian pilot it especially pains me to see stuff like this but also makes me more careful when I fly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-oDjVGUKHQ


I've had this vid on my computer for a while, it may have been posted here before but I have not seen it here before (I've been enjoying other people's posts long before I posted anything of my own). Even so, sorry if it's a repost. Also, could someone please help a noob out and tell me how I embed youtube and other vids? I've fooled around with the [EMBED] but can't seem to get it to work.

[D-gin]

It mite just be me, but I can't see anything.



EDIT: Thank you....Cheers.

[eric_from_texas]

It mite just be me, but I can't see anything.

Sorry, I can't figure out how to embed so I just posted the URL to youtube.

[D-gin]

Damn that sucks.... Why were they flying in such close proximity.

[Clay125]

I've seen that video before and always wanted to know the story behind it....

[AlphaOneSix]

It was a demonstration...not exactly an airshow, I don't think, but they were trying to fly a really tight formation for spectators...I think it was in conjunction with some kind of parade or something.

[eric_from_texas]

the helicopters look like they could be MH-53 Pave Lows http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:MH-53J_Pave_Low_III.jpg but i cant really tell. anyone else know anything about this vid?

EDIT: pumas not pave lows

[AlphaOneSix]

They are Pumas...or maybe Cougars...but they are Kuwaiti Air Force, that I know for sure.

[Betelgeuse]

I've seen that video before and always wanted to know the story behind it....

Yeah, I don't know why but I have this video stored in my HDD since a lot of time and always wanted to know if someone inside the helis survived.

[DongFangBuBai]

There is a following clip of this. I thought it was Saudi Arabia but can't be sure. Anyway, the only survivor is a british pilot. The helicopters are Super Pumas. They always show us this clip whenever we do our underwater escape drills. This pilot said that he waited for everything to stop before he orientated himself before following the bubbles to the surface. He did it all without any breathing apparatus.

I believe this was one of catalyst for helicopter operators to equip their pilots and aircrew with breathing apparatus (small air tank) whenever they fly over water for long periods of time.

[Onslaught]

Thanks DongFang, now I know what happened.

[Voodoo_Br]

This one is nasty too... Any Stories behind this vid?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjppMqR26Qg&mode=related&search=

[DongFangBuBai]

Almost the same. It was a tail rotor failure. Look at it closely and you can see the tail rotor winding down. I believe it was a tail rotor shaft failure.
Read the comments and I think there're some details there.

Tail rotor emergencies are particularly tricky. There are several types but the 2 main ones are tail rotor shaft failure, i.e. the tail rotor stops rotating (in this case) causing a lost of anti torque and the helicopter will spin out of control if there is insufficient forward speed and height to recover. Typical recovery actions (airspeed, height and pilot reaction permitting), dump the collective (reduce the torque) and push the cyclic forward for airspeed (using airspeed to straighten out the chopper). Assuming that the pilot did those in time (once the nose yaws beyond 90deg it's unrecoverable), he'll have to do a autorotation to land off and killing the engine would be highly advisible.

Of course what I've described is only one type of tail rotor shaft failure, i.e. with height and airspeed to play with. There're lots of possible scenario like hovering OGE (out of ground effect) and IGE (in ground effect). Each requries different actions.

The second group of tail rotor failure is control failure, i.e. the tail rotor is still spinning but it is either stuck at a position or at neutral position. This is less severe but will still require a lot of work from the pilot. The pilot need not do a autorotation and depending on the high or low power setting in which the tail rotor is positioned, he can come in for a low approach and using a skillful trading off of airspeed and power he can land off the chopper with run on technique. Throttling down the engines can also help to manipulate the yaw.

Trival: Sometime back, the emergency actions of the above mentioned emergency for AH-64s was to maintain above 70kts but one day a Israeli Apache had the exact emergency and the pilots found that 70 kts was not enough. If I remember correctly, they went almost to 130-140kts in order to straighten the aircraft sufficiently to do a successful run on landing. After that the emergency actions of all Apaches were changed to maintain airspeed >90kts or as sufficient to maintain control of aircraft.

[DongFangBuBai]

Yeah, I don't know why but I have this video stored in my HDD since a lot of time and always wanted to know if someone inside the helis survived.

One more comment about this clip. Look at how easily the tail booms snapped and imagine how violent that must be within the aircraft. Many do not realise how dangerous flying helicopters are, particularly in formation and in confined areas. For fixed wing, a contact like this will probably escape with harmless dents but a slight contact between the rotor blades, the helis will disintegrate.