A really big lunch

[CYHeli]

I think this comes under the 'Don't believe everything they say in the press' category.
Lunch leftovers make chopper come a cropper

Thursday, 22/07/2010
A chopper pilot from Rockhampton is lucky to be alive after his lunch leftovers caused his chopper to crash land.
Ben Williams' helicopter crashed last month while he was mustering cattle in the Northern Territory.
The cause has since been identified as plastic wrapping from his lunch covering the helicopter's air box.
He's still recovering in Darwin Private Hospital, and says he went on auto-pilot right after the crash.
"I wanted to get out of that helicopter, there was a bit of fuel starting to drip around me, and I thought it'll be like a Hollywood movie scene where the machine catches on fire, but fortunately that didn't turn out."

A very large lunch to cover the air intake for an R22. Perhaps blocking or interfering with, would've been better expressions.

Glad he's okay.

[skypig]

The air inlet is quite small from memory, easily covered by a sandwich sized piece of Glad wrap. It has 2 “bars” across it to make it less likely to suck something onto the inlet.
I thought the spring-loaded door, designed to suck open in the event of the inlet or filter being blocked would allow unfiltered air straight into the carby and prevent a total power loss.


Sky "R22's a distant memory" Pig

The last machine I flew had mesh over the engine intake, the prevent ingestion of R22s etc...

[Bedouin Prince]

Yeah I know another mustering pilot that that has happened to. Eat your sandwich on the go, chuck the glad rap out the door and it smothers the engine. Good to know the big fellas ok.

[HTI]

Make for a great TV add for Gladrap

[Nathan Covey]

The air inlet is quite small from memory, easily covered by a sandwich sized piece of Glad wrap. It has 2 “bars” across it to make it less likely to suck something onto the inlet.
I thought the spring-loaded door, designed to suck open in the event of the inlet or filter being blocked would allow unfiltered air straight into the carby and prevent a total power loss.


Sky "R22's a distant memory" Pig

The last machine I flew had mesh over the engine intake, the prevent ingestion of R22s etc...

the r22 is a mariner, and on that model due to water landings the air box has no secondary bypass inlet .
Ben is doing ok , considering a fractured eye socket the best broken nose i have seen 2 x broken both bottom ribs 1x broken leg , and to top it off fractured L1 ,L2,L3,L4,L5 so he is pretty sore , have a look at the pictures on abc

[black duck]

The air inlet is quite small from memory, easily covered by a sandwich sized piece of Glad wrap. It has 2 “bars” across it to make it less likely to suck something onto the inlet.
I thought the spring-loaded door, designed to suck open in the event of the inlet or filter being blocked would allow unfiltered air straight into the carby and prevent a total power loss.


Sky "R22's a distant memory" Pig

The last machine I flew had mesh over the engine intake, the prevent ingestion of R22s etc...

The two bars would be Mars bars and the spring loaded door is a swing top kitchen tidy? It's good to see he got out of it, a bit banged up though!

[skypig]

the r22 is a mariner, and on that model due to water landings the air box has no secondary bypass inlet .

Makes sense. Always learning.
I'm glad the pilot is "OK", sounds like a lot of bad injuries. We all hope for a speedy and full recovery.

Sky "Floats off, change the airbox" Pig

[Robinsondog]

Isn't the Mariner supposed to have a collapsable airbox to cater for just this scenario?

I mean air intakes blocked, not the cupcake that stupidly throws a loose article out the window just trying to either block the air inlet, destroy the T/R or have it ingested in the air cooling fan and then subsequently cook a pot because the cooling fins were blocked.

Saw a small paper bag whipped up in down wash once collect and wrap around a Bell 47 M/R on the outboard end. The pilot was alone in the helicopter, no other load and he couldn't even hover.

If I had been the owner I think I would have taken a stick to the bloody sod once I found out the issue.

Mustering is supposed to be NO LOOSE ARTICLES. I.E. Negligence with a capital N.

Sounds like the subject has plenty of time to ponder his stupidity. I hope for his sake he doesn't go back to flying, another severe bump will put him into a wheelchair for sure.

[Eric Hunt]

Mustering in a Mariner?

What is he mustering? Sea horses? Hippopotamusssess?

Eric "don't call me Pork" Hunt

[Bedouin Prince]

Eric, the mariner in question had the floats off it, and was pretty much set up as a normal R22, if I remember correctly.

I only wonder if the indian cab driver bead seat cover that he flies with survived...

[Ferret]

With the doors off it probably got sucked out

[Robinsondog]

With the doors off it probably got sucked out

Warll, I reckon that's a fair punt, that's why you are careful, not negligent and don't risk your life in such silly manner, not to mention a valuable helicopter. I thought everyone got taught about loose articles before they went solo.
RD

[Nathan Covey]

In the N.T at the moment but will be at the sunshine coast real soon , would love to catch up

[fly in the sky]

Whoa back boys, I am sure Ben thought the articles in his Cockpit were secure and unfortunately has learnt a costly lesson which no doubt could have had a worse result on just how secure things have to be.

I remember once when I started using Robbies in 89 working a mob along a watercourse crossed up a bit and travelling about 10/15 knots and the piece of broomhandle Dipstick which was lying flat on the floor against the console flicked out the door. Sure demonstrated just how secure things need to be.

best thing learn and move on.

[skypig]

Let those without sin, cast the first stone.

Sky "Who'd have thought THAT would happen!" Pig

[Ferret]

Im sure he didn't throw it out! How could he with his hands on both the controls.

[ajm81]

That sums it up perfectly pig, who has never ever seen a single loose item dissapear? Maybe there is one or two perfect pilots, the rest of us live and learn.

Everyone can have an opinion but to publicly criticise a extremely unfortunate event is a brave move-not being perfect i'll shut up and make doubly sure of loose items next time, especially if i ever have to muster in a mariner

[Robinsondog]

Im sure he didn't throw it out! How could he with his hands on both the controls.-

god spare us.

No Nathan you won't see me up at the Sunshine coast anytime soon, ten years ago I swore off all of the spivs (retired mexican wharfies) that seem to be infesting the place. That was ten years after the gold coast affected me the same way, better places to enjoy than those rat races.

As far as the NT is concerned I had always heard that their language up there was of a much higher standard to that which you display.

A fine example I must say, perhaps you are an owner of this site or moderator, it is astounding that you haven't been beeped. Mind you I think I have seen your intemperate displays of foul mouth before on these columns.

Perhaps your choice of words is why a Russian naughty site invaded here earlier today, since wiped I notice.

Still waiting to hear about your attitude to loose articles. BTW I questioned a little knob bird about your status as a senior pilot /musterer. I was told that you are supposed to be an instructor. That true?? some standard.

RD

[black duck]

Hippopotamusssess?

Thats easy for you to say! hippoput....hippurpit........huppper..

[RealityCheck]

CYHeli - not very professional of you to not know the location of the intake to the airbox? How do you expect to get paid the award when you don't know such basic details of your machine?

RobinsonDog - you sound like a dead set wally. Have you ever seen a helicopter involved in mustering, or the conditions/pressures involved? A fellow pilot has some pretty extensive injuries by the sounds of it and your slinging s#%t on him about being wreckless? Grow up.

RealityCheck