Rotor Torque

The IIP also flagged the acquisition of “new aero-medical evacuation equipment for the additional Chinook helicopters in the decade to FY 2025-26”.

Kiwi Seasprites retire from service

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has officially retired its five Kaman SH-2G(NZ) Seasprites, marking the occasion with a change of command ceremony held at RNZAF Base Auckland on April 14.

The SH-2G(NZ) Seasprites entered service in August 2001 and are being replaced by eight newer, ex-Royal Australian Navy SH-2G(I) variants operated by the RNZAF’s 6 Squadron.

“Upgrading the naval helicopter fleet from five to eight plus a simulator gives the New Zealand Defence Force a significant increase in capability, allowing the Navy to embark up to three helicopters from ships concurrently as opposed to the current two that are available,” said Chief of Air Force, Air Vice- Marshal Tony Davies. “The focus has been temporarily managing up to 13 aircraft with the same resources as was previously available for five. The Naval Helicopter Force have put a lot of effort into the SH-2G(I) model transition and achieved success through this. ” The SH-2G(NZ) fleet flew more than 15,000 hours while in service, often embarked on the Royal New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Te Mana, Te Kaha and Canterbury.

The final SH-2G(NZ) flight occurred on April 21 when a pair of Seasprites returned to Auckland from conducting relief operations in Fiji following Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, having been embarked on HMNZS Canterbury.

Norwegian crash grounds global H225 fleet

All Airbus Helicopters H225s (EC225LPs) were grounded following the fatal crash of a CHC Helicopters H225 off the west coast of Norway on April 29 which killed all 11 passengers and two crew on board.

The H225, registered LN-OJF, operated on behalf of Statoil, was returning to Bergen from the Gullfaks B platform, 120km off the Norwegian mainland, when it impacted the rocky shoreline of Turoy Island at about 12. 00pm local time, en route to Flesland Airport, Bergen.

An eyewitness video published on YouTube of the crash showed the helicopter’s rotor head, with all of its five blades still attached, spinning slowly to the ground with the wreckage of the fuselage on fire more than 300 metres away.

Immediately following the accident, Civil Aviation Authority – Norway and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority both banned the commercial operations of all Norwegian and UK-registered EC225LP helicopters, with an exemption for search and rescue flights.

In an initial statement Airbus Helicopters said “we are allied with the decision taken to put all commercial EC225LP passenger flights on hold”.

However, two days after the accident, Airbus Helicopters updated its position, announcing: “Considering the additional information gathered during the last 48 hours, Airbus Helicopters’ decision, at this stage, is to not suspend flights of any nature for the EC225LP. ” The Civil Aviation Authority – Norway said LN-OJF had its gearbox replaced on January 17 this year and its rotor head on March 27. In its statement, CHC Helicopter confirmed LN-OJF returned to base twice in the days before the accident where it was inspected and had parts replaced. “Thursday (the day before the accident), the aircraft completed six commercial flights, all without any indication of problems. None of the changed parts were physically connected to rotor or gearbox. ” Following the recovered wreckage and components, the Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) said the preliminary investigation indicates an inflight separation of the main rotor hub from the main gearbox. “On the basis of the facts we have, this involves a technical fault, it is not human error,” said director of the AIBN’s aviation department, Kaare Halvorsen.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) on May 3, enacted locally by CASA, requiring operators to check the correct installation of the front and right hand and left hand rear main gearbox (MGB) suspension bars, the chip detectors of the MGB for absence of metallic particles, perform an oil filter check of the MGB for absence of metallic particles and for helicopters equipped with a modular aircraft recording monitoring and vibration health monitoring systems, download data and check for any threshold exceedance before the helicopter’s next flight.

Bristow said it had suspended flying six of its nine H225s operating in Australia while it continued to operate up to three solely for search and rescue missions. According to CASA’s civil aircraft register, there are 20 EC225LP Super Pumas currently registered in Australia.

CHC files for bankruptcy

The CHC Group says it is “business as normal” as it seeks to restructure its business under the protection of US Chapter 11 bankruptcy rules.

Karl Fessenden, CHC Group president and chief executive said in a statement the voluntary filing was to facilitate the restructuring of its balance sheet and fleet, and to position the company for long-term success. “CHC continues to be a strong company operationally and we remain fully committed to delivering safe and reliable service to our customers,” said Fessenden. “Importantly, normal business operations will continue. ” CHC’s operations have been significantly affected by the decline in oil prices since their peak in 2014 and general uncertainty in the energy market, which has led to decreased customer demand and an increase in idle aircraft.

“Despite significant efforts to reduce costs, these factors, coupled with CHC’s debt and aircraft lease obligations, resulted in the company’s decision to engage advisors to assist in evaluating strategic alternatives to improve its capital structure,” said the statement. “CHC and its advisors determined a court-supervised reorganisation process provides the best and most efficient way to align the company’s debt, lease and interest costs with customer demand in the current operating environment, and position CHC for long-term success. ”

NZ R66 accident report makes recommendations to the FAA

Findings from New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) investigation into the March 9 2013 fatal accident of a Robinson R66 in the North Island’s Kaweka Range has made several recommendations to the FAA including mandatory additional training for pilots as a prerequisite for attaining a R66 type rating.

When the R66, ZH-IHU, encountered turbulences, a mast bump caused a main rotor blade to strike the fuselage. The R66 then broke up in flight killing the pilot, the only person on board.

The TAIC found the R66 was as vulnerable as the smaller Robinson R22 and R44 types to a catastrophic mast bump under certain conditions, when considered alongside four other R66 accidents that have occurred globally since the helicopter type was introduced. The R66 was certificated by the FAA without any special training requirements like those that are mandated for pilots of the R22 and the R44 to reduce the risk of mast bump accidents.

The report said “at the time of this accident, the flight manuals for Robinson helicopters did not adequately warn pilots of the hazardous operating practices and environmental conditions that can lead rapidly to a catastrophic mast bump. ” Key lessons from the investigation concluded that all pilots must be familiar with the complete Pilot’s Operating Handbook for each aircraft type that they fly and their approved flight manuals, all pilots should avoid areas of high winds or turbulence regardless of their experience and closely adhere to the manufacturer’s advice to reduce airspeed if turbulence is encountered.

The TAIC recommended the FAA extend the knowledge and training requirements of Special Federal Aviation Regulation 73 to pilots of R66s and for the FAA to reinstate its research into the dynamic behaviour of two-bladed, teetering, underslung rotor systems. The Commission also recommended the NZ Civil Aviation Authority promptly publicise recent amendments to the Robinson R66 and R44 Pilot’s Operating Handbooks that cautions against flight in high winds and turbulence.

Seahawk Romeos conduct Hellfire firings

Royal Australian Navy’s 725 Squadron MH-60R Seahawks conducted firings of its AGM-114N Hellfire missile in early April against moving targets in the East Australian Exercise Area near Jervis Bay, NSW providing crews with important tactical training.

“Handling weapons and being exposed to delivery procedures is the best way to prepare maintenance staff and aircrew for future deployments to sea,” 725 Commanding Officer Commander Matt Royals told Navy News. “The opportunity to fire the missiles has provided exposure to all areas of weapon preparation and tactical delivery of Hellfire. ” During the engagement sequences, 725 Squadron crews exercised all methods of Hellfire weapons delivery.

Flying above the target area during the training, a ScanEagle UAV from Navy’s Unmanned Aviation Systems Unit assisted Seahawk crews with location and targeting information and a real time video feed of the Hellfire engagements. The MH-60Rs can carry up to eight Hellfire missiles, which are capable of attacking targets out to 8km and reaching speeds in excess of Mach 1.

Bell’s Valor prototype taking shape

Bell Helicopter’s first V-280 Valor tiltrotor prototype is beginning to take shape with its wing and fuselage mated at Bell’s Amarillo, Texas facility on April 21.

The long, single-piece wing, with no anhedral or sweep, was attached to the fuselage, that was delivered to Bell from Spirit AeroSystems in December 2015.

The wing sits above the cabin with its main support beam running over the roof of the cabin, rather than through, to increase the available space inside.

Registered N280BH, the V-280 prototype is expected to make its first flight in September 2017. Once Bell has completed its test and evaluation phases, the V-280 will compete against the Sikorsky-Boeing’s SB-1 Defiant as part of the US Army-led Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) program, the precursor to the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program to replace up to 4,000 medium-class utility and attack helicopters, including the Black Hawk, Apache, Chinook and Kiowa, for the US armed forces.

Final assembly of the first SB-1 Defiant will be later this year for a first flight in 2017.

Briefs

• Coffs Harbour Airport-based Eagle Copters Australasia was named a Bell Helicopter customer service facility in April. “We are honoured by this appointment and look forward to joining the long-standing relationship between Eagle Copters and Bell Helicopter,” said Eagle Copters Australasia managing director Grant Boyter.
• Hunter Region Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service pilot Ian ‘Ossie’ Osborne made his final flight on April 7, flying the service’s Bell 412EP. After 25 years at the service, Ossie’s retirement brings to an end a career that saw him clock up around 17,000 hours flying types from Bell 47s to Boeing 747s.
• Bell Helicopter’s third 525 Relentless prototype, N525BN, made its first flight on April 23 from its Amarillo, Texas facility. Flight Test Vehicle 3 (FTV3) will soon move across to Bell’s flight test facility at Arlington, Texas to do load-level survey work. FTV4 will join the 525 program in August and FTV5 in September.
• Russian Helicopters’ first Ka-62 prototype made its first flight on April 28. Flown by test pilots from the Kamov Design Bureau, the Ka-62’s prime developer, the twin-engined helicopter performed a series of checks while in a low hover.