Helicopter Crash in London!

[Galant]

This is live now (10:20 GMT) if you haven't seen it.

Crash occurred in Vauxhall.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21040313

2 dead and 9 injured - one critically.

[TheAnimus]

It appears that conditions were IFR, there was a NOTAM about the crane, but it might have been illuminated only at night.

For analysis better than what most of the news outlets will be pumping out, check pprune:
http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/505...-london-2.html

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Its a twin engined A109E it seems and yet some of the media think it is a single engined helicopter:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...l-8453556.html

[TheAnimus]

Its a twin engined A109E it seems and yet some of the media think it is a single engined helicopter:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...l-8453556.html

Gargh.

This guy understands absolutely nothing, yet writes about it for a living.

45 hours is the minimum for a PPL-H. That does not entitle you to fly along the thames. You need permission, you normally don't get it without a dual. Hell the map they link to in the article shows that. To get a twin engine raiting you need about 70hours as PIC, not PUT. This would put it at a minimum of 105 hours iirc (I don't know, I don't have JAR or rotary).

The question is, why was he low, was he trapped by weather, why was he unable to IFR, why did he fail to get a safety altitude.

I've strayed out of VFR to IFR before now, it was scary, but thankfuly an on the ball FIS was able to take a lot of the workload away from me.

[scaryjim]

.. 45 hours is the minimum for a PPL-H. ... To get a twin engine raiting you need about 70hours as PIC, not PUT. ... (I don't know, I don't have JAR or rotary). ... why was he unable to IFR, ... I've strayed out of VFR to IFR before now ... on the ball FIS was able to take a lot of the workload away from me.

TLA overload! Any chance of an expansion of some of those for a flying know-nothing like me?

I think what's really getting me about it now is that while this is definitely a news story, I don't understand the need to attempt to do the whole thing live? It's just getting ridiculous in the desperation to report *something* - for instance this line on the BBC website:

Commuters have described hearing a loud explosion, and seeing the helicopter and cars in flames.

Well ... a helicopter crashed into a crane then fell onto some cars. The fact that commuters heard/saw this is hardly surprising - it'd be difficult to miss if you were in the area. Do we really need a national, publically-funded body spending money telling us that? As part of a live feed? Come on BBC - you've reported the news, now wait until there's something to actually report before you try to do an update, rather than fill the void with blatant banalities and irrelevancies...

[TheAnimus]

TLA overload! Any chance of an expansion of some of those for a flying know-nothing like me?

Sorry was in full rant mode.

PPL is a Private Pilots License, its the basic certification. H, means for helicopters.
PIC is Pilot In Command, it is the time you've spent as the head honcho flying the plane.
PUT is Pilot Under Training, it is the time you've spent as the person being taught.
VFR is Visual Flight Rules, it means the weather is good.
IFR is Instrument Flight Rules, it means your following a flight plan using only instruments, no requirement to see visual things on the ground.

Well ... a helicopter crashed into a crane then fell onto some cars. The fact that commuters heard/saw this is hardly surprising - it'd be difficult to miss if you were in the area. Do we really need a national, publically-funded body spending money telling us that? As part of a live feed? Come on BBC - you've reported the news, now wait until there's something to actually report before you try to do an update, rather than fill the void with blatant banalities and irrelevancies...

Exactly, why does this need 'live' coverage. IT HAS HAPPENED ALREADY.

[BobF64]

Exactly, why does this need 'live' coverage. IT HAS HAPPENED ALREADY.

Because without this sort of thing BBC News 24 is very very very dull and boring.

[scaryjim]

Sorry was in full rant mode.

No apology necessary - when you know the jargon/TLAs it can be difficult to avoid using them automatically, even when you're not in rant mode. Appreciate the explanation - now I know a little bit more

[TheAnimus]

So the informed speculations at the moment are.

1) Pilot was in VFR. However this has a problem, as London is whole SVFR, meaning Special Visual Flight Rules, meaning you can't go in without permission. Given the fog and such I doubt anyone would have givern permission.
2) Pilot was IFR going to batersea helipad. This is the most popular one of pprune it appears. http://www.vatsim-uk.co.uk/website/EGLW/

[Saracen]

Gargh.

This guy understands absolutely nothing, yet writes about it for a living.

.....

Sadly, not exactly a first for national papers, as soon as you hit a technical subject. I've seen a fair bit of rank drivel, over the years, on both computers and photography.

The papers really ought to use experienced writers .... like me.


Of course, sometimes they do use experienced writers .... including me. That would be the 'quality' papers.

As for the accident, it's terribly sad, and I feel for the families. But I don't feel able to say much more, not least because facts are pretty unclear as yet.

[TheAnimus]

So its been announced, guy was a very experianced rotary pilot, on route to Elsetree, diverted due to weather and was caught out.

Poor guy, poor people on the ground.