Thursday, September 01, 2011

Helicopter's rotors struck tail boom

Investigations into a fatal helicopter crash that killed two people on Sydney's north shore suggest the aircraft's main rotor blades chopped off its tail.

The seven-seater Bell 206 helicopter carrying businessman Bruce Campbell, 65, smashed into the base of a cliff in the Lane Cove National Park at South Turramurra on July 22 in wet and windy weather.

Also on board was freelance pilot Colin Greenwood, 35.

Both men were killed instantly and the helicopter destroyed.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) published a preliminary report into the accident on Friday.

"Analysis of the wreckage distribution and key components has indicated that a section of the helicopter's tail boom had separated in flight, after multiple main rotor blade strikes," the report said.

"The loss of the tail boom section was consistent with its location 50 metres to the south of the main wreckage and also consistent with witness reports of the event."

The ATSB report said power was still being delivered to the main rotor blades when the helicopter crashed.

"Examination of the flight control system did not reveal any preliminary indications of a contributory failure or pre-existing condition that would have led to the separation of the tail boom section," the report added.

Mr Campbell, who owned the aircraft, was being flown back to his Wyee home on the NSW Central Coast when the accident happened.

He was the founder of western Sydney cement mixing business Davcron Engineering.

The ATSB is continuing its investigation and expects to publish a full report before May 2012.

It will investigate factors including the weather at the time of the accident and any possible human factors.

Source:  http://news.smh.com.au

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