The Million Dollar Aerobatic Routine

This is quite cool to watch.

http://hagar.up.ac.za/christo/Bell407Loop.wmv

Too bad the 407 is a normal category helicopter and requires the following placard:

The following placard must be displayed in front of and in clear view of the pilot: "THIS HELICOPTER MUST BE OPERATED IN COMPLIANCE WITH OPERATING LIMITATIONS SPECIFIED IN THE APPROVED HELICOPTER FLIGHT MANUAL."

Too bad the approved helicopter flight manual doesn't allow loops and roll. Too bad Bell saw the show. Too bad Bell issued the following letter for this particular helicopter.

SPECIAL INSPECTION PROCEDURES

ATTACHMENT A to Letter August 30, 2004


The following actions will be required in order to evaluate the continued airworthiness of Model 407 Serial Number 53078

A. Permanent removal from service is required for the following components:

a. All metal components of the main rotor hub assembly including
the elastomeric components and blade bolts
b. Main rotor mast assembly
c. Boosted main rotor fixed and rotating controls, including the
swashplate assembly and support.
d. Main rotor control hydraulic actuators, and the support casting.
e. Flight control bolts in the boosted control system.
f. Drive system components to include tail rotor drive shafts,
bearings, hangers, flex couplings and splined adapters.
g. Input (Ka-Flex) drive shaft
h. Transmission top case
i. Transmission-mounted flight control bellcranks and support
brackets.
j. Tail rotor mast
k. Tail boom and attach hardware
l. Pylon support structure including the pylon side beams, corner
mounts, longitudinal pitch restraints, stop fittings and
associated attachment hardware.

B. Components requiring complete inspection and overhaul at
Bell Helicopter:

a. Main and tail rotor blades
b. Main rotor yoke assembly
c. Tail rotor yoke assembly

C. Components to be overhauled by a facility suitable to Bell (Bell
Tennessee/CSR):

a. Transmission assembly
b. Freewheel assembly
c. Tail rotor gearbox
D. Airframe inspection by qualified personnel suitable to Bell:
a. Fuselage structure for evidence of cracks or distortion
b. Instrument panel console for evidence of distortion
c. Battery and ballast weight supports
d. Cabin roof beam assembly
e. Roll-over bulkheads

Page 2:

f. Vertical control tunnel
g. Engine deck for cracks, distortion evidence
h. Tail boom attachment fittings and longerons
i. Horizontal stabilizer
j. Vertical and auxiliary fins

In support of the above return to service action, the aircraft interior shall be removed and other systems and controls as necessary to permit close and rigid visual inspection of the entire fuselage structure as recommended above. Prior to release for return to service, items not listed above shall be inspected in accordance with the basic aircraft 300 hour / annual inspection.

Any material abnormalities or discrepancies identified during the conditional inspection are to be reported to Product Support Engineering - Light Helicopters, for evaluation.

Items listed above that are to be permanently removed from service are deemed unsuitable for use, and shall be destroyed, permanently marked or otherwise disfigured so as to prevent inadvertent installation on an operational helicopter.

If this was your helicopter, go ahead and panic!

It's Always Best to Blame Someone Else.

Watch this video and see if this helicopter does anything but climb straight up into the open hangar door. See if you notice it moving away from the hangar. See if you notice it drift towards the hangar. Yeah, the NTSB didn't see that either.

If you're flying with this guy, go ahead and panic!

CHI04LA212

On August 5, 2004, at 1200 central daylight time, a Robinson R44, N7036J, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when the main rotor contacted an open hangar door during takeoff and the helicopter subsequently impacted the ground at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS), Chesterfield, Missouri. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and 2 passengers reported no injuries. A third passenger reported minor injuries. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

In his written statement, the pilot reported that the flight was to be a local sightseeing flight for the 3 passengers. He added that the left side flight controls had been removed. The pilot stated that the helicopter was parked on the ramp approximately 35 feet from the hangar. He reported that the bi-fold hangar door was open and extended about 10 feet out over the ramp.

The pilot stated that after completing the normal start-up and pre-flight procedures, he established that the area was clear and picked up into a 6 - 8 foot hover. He reported that he began to move away from the hangar. He stated that as he did so the passenger in the left front seat turned to his right and "accidentally and inadvertently hit or bumped the counterweight portion of the cyclic as he turned."

The pilot stated that the helicopter drifted toward the open hangar door and before he could correct the drift the main rotor clipped the bottom edge of the door. He recalled: "I quickly maneuvered away from the hangar building and began to level the aircraft." The helicopter descended to the ramp. The subsequent hard landing caused the skids to collapse and the main rotor to sever the tail boom.

A ground witness to the accident submitted a video recording of the accident flight. Review of the recording revealed that after the helicopter lifted-off, it paused in a hover for a few seconds and then began to climb out, subsequently contacting the door. No drift toward the hangar building was observed prior to rotor blade contact with the door.