PILOT SPIN
Pilot Zone => Accident Review/Never Again (I hope..) => Topic started by: PeterNSteinmetz on October 01, 2021, 05:25:29 PM
-
From Rusty of on PoA:
Airplane vs Rorotcraft. Just before 8am, 1-Oct-2021.
According to a witness/pilot just interviewed on local TV, the rotorcraft was immediately disabled, falling from approximately 500’, bursting into flames on impact. Two confirmed deceased.
The PA-28 was now missing its LH main gear but landed successfully.
Airplane was a Piper Cherokee https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N2868H
Helicopter was https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N412TL
As observed by azpilot
"It's common for the helicopters at KCHD to fly the "Charlie pattern". The fly right traffic at a lower altitude and tighter pattern than the fixed wing airplanes. They line up for T&G's on taxi way Charlie which is South of, and parallel to 4R.
If you look at the ground track for N2868H, it looks like they were flying a short approach for 4R and turned right over the top of N412TL.
The Piper had been doing T&G and was on landing number 10. The Helicopter had just taken off and appears to have been lining up for their first T&G."
I have also confirmed that it was a training flight in the airplane with a younger student pilot.
-
Just went through the LiveATC.Net recordings. Unfortunately the tower transmissions from Tower South are not being picked up. Runway 4R and taxiway C where the helicopters are practicing is normally controlled by the south tower frequency on 133.1. Initial takeoffs and 4L are normally controlled by Tower North on 126.1. Here are some of the pertinent bits:
Tower North 126.1
14:29:36 Twr Heliopter 412TL follow helicopter ahead, cleared for takeoff taxiway C
14:43:52 Twr asking about injuries
Tower South 133.1
14:32:08 N2868H - extending upwind for the helicopters
14:32:55 N2868H - Runway 4R cleared T&G as #2, different voice
14:32:57 2TL - cleared for the option
14:37:34 N2868H - right hand approved
14:37:53 N2868H Rwy 4R cleared #2 T&G
It does not appear that the airplane 68H was cleared for a short approach.
-
Student pilot in helicopter identified. Early in his training at Quantum Helicopters (where I am training as well though had never flown that ship.) navy veteran and father. RIP.
https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/chandler/officials-investigating-mid-air-collision-between-plane-and-helicopter-in-chandler
-
I HATE when guys like that are killed. Dad of a baby.
-
I can say that at KCHD in normal practice on taxiway C and with planes using 4R, the airplanes are below you and to the left as you make your turn from base to final.
I now appreciate even more how my instructor’s eyes are always glued on any airplane in the pattern with us.
-
Just a bit more news. The CFI in the airplane was apparently a rather new and young CFI.
-
In flying helis at KCHD the last week I have noticed they seem to be much more cognizant of positioning the helis and planes on the south side and call out the traffic a lot more. A good thing.
The most recent talk is that the controllers also did everything fine the day of the collision. It appears the CFI in the airplane just decided to make a short approach.
-
I always drop my gear 3 miles out. Always worried about distractions in the pattern. Last week it was a Cessna flying in the delta and right over the runway not talking to anyone.
-
I always drop my gear 3 miles out. Always worried about distractions in the pattern. Last week it was a Cessna flying in the delta and right over the runway not talking to anyone.
I’m challenged by that because the Navion gear speed is only 100 mph. I do put gear down at least two to three miles out, but am learning how to slow it down to drop it closer in.
-
I’m challenged by that because the Navion gear speed is only 100 mph. I do put gear down at least two to three miles out, but am learning how to slow it down to drop it closer in.
Mooney gear speed is only 120, which is slow for a Mooney. I make little thousand RPM declinations in the throttle during the descent, so by the time I'm at three miles out I'm at pattern altitude and a low enough throttle setting will result in gear speed if I just raise the nose. I might gain a little altitude bleeding off speed, but it is easily lost with the airframe dirtied up.