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#1
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Clutch switch position
A recent incident involving a Rotorway helicopter occurred. An accidental
bumping of the clutch switch dis-engaged the clutch. The resulting autorotation resulted in a roll over and of course some significant damage. As I understand it, the switch was mounted in the overhead panel but the pilot's headset could make contact and inadvertently cause the clutch dis-engagement. I wonder if the standard switch cover that you have to lift to get access to the switch itself would have stopped this occurrence? -- Stuart & Kathryn Fields, Publishers Experimental Helo magazine P. O. Box 1585 Inyokern, CA 93527 (760) 377-4478 ph (760) 408-9747 publication cell (760) 608-1299 technical cell www.experimentalhelo.com www.vkss.com |
#2
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Clutch switch position
"Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote in message
.. . A recent incident involving a Rotorway helicopter occurred. An accidental bumping of the clutch switch dis-engaged the clutch. The resulting autorotation resulted in a roll over and of course some significant damage. As I understand it, the switch was mounted in the overhead panel but the pilot's headset could make contact and inadvertently cause the clutch dis-engagement. I wonder if the standard switch cover that you have to lift to get access to the switch itself would have stopped this occurrence? -- Stuart & Kathryn Fields, Publishers Sounds like a reasonable assumption to me. It also sounds like having a protected switch should be a recommended safety item for any critical function, whether or not the switch is in a position to be accidentally bumped. Going slightly off topic, and I'm not meaning to put anyone down here, but why is it that just about every emergency autorotation I hear about results in significant damage to the helicopter? Most folks walk away from them, which is good, but some don't. This seems to be fairly common even among aircraft that have the reputation of being relatively forgiving in this mode. Are autorotations "that" critical or are the successful ones simply not considered to be worthy of news so I'm not hearing/reading about them? Fly Safe, Steve R. |
#3
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Clutch switch position
"Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote in message .. . A recent incident involving a Rotorway helicopter occurred. An accidental bumping of the clutch switch dis-engaged the clutch. The resulting autorotation resulted in a roll over and of course some significant damage. As I understand it, the switch was mounted in the overhead panel but the pilot's headset could make contact and inadvertently cause the clutch dis-engagement. I wonder if the standard switch cover that you have to lift to get access to the switch itself would have stopped this occurrence? Would a switch cover not delay ready access to the switch? Sounds like it needs to be relocated for safety, and kept quick to select. |
#4
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Clutch switch position
Instead of a covered switch, use a swich with raised side gaurds to protect
it. Can't think of any swiches used in most emergency procedures that are covered. James Rule 6 - "Priorities are man made, not god made" "Maxwell" wrote in message ... "Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote in message .. . A recent incident involving a Rotorway helicopter occurred. An accidental bumping of the clutch switch dis-engaged the clutch. The resulting autorotation resulted in a roll over and of course some significant damage. As I understand it, the switch was mounted in the overhead panel but the pilot's headset could make contact and inadvertently cause the clutch dis-engagement. I wonder if the standard switch cover that you have to lift to get access to the switch itself would have stopped this occurrence? Would a switch cover not delay ready access to the switch? Sounds like it needs to be relocated for safety, and kept quick to select. |
#5
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Clutch switch position
"Hawkdoc" wrote in message
... Instead of a covered switch, use a swich with raised side gaurds to protect it. Can't think of any swiches used in most emergency procedures that are covered. James Rule 6 - "Priorities are man made, not god made" "Maxwell" wrote in message ... "Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote in message .. . A recent incident involving a Rotorway helicopter occurred. An accidental bumping of the clutch switch dis-engaged the clutch. The resulting autorotation resulted in a roll over and of course some significant damage. As I understand it, the switch was mounted in the overhead panel but the pilot's headset could make contact and inadvertently cause the clutch dis-engagement. I wonder if the standard switch cover that you have to lift to get access to the switch itself would have stopped this occurrence? Would a switch cover not delay ready access to the switch? Sounds like it needs to be relocated for safety, and kept quick to select. Hmmm, I'm going on the assumption that this is a switch that's flipped in order to apply a "clutch" type mechanism to engage the engine to the main drive system after it's been started. On the Rotorway's I'm familiar with, that was simply an idler pulley that applied enough pressure to the main drive belts to prevent them from slippage and once engaged, was not disengaged until after the aircraft had landed and it was time to shut down. This was not a mechanism that would require any attention from the pilot while in flight, even during an emergency autorotation because the freewheel system that allows the rotor system to keep going after the engine quits was between the belts and the main drive systems. Have they changed things, or did the owner of this particular bird change things? Just curious! Fly Safe, Steve R. |
#7
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Clutch switch position
"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net wrote in message Would a switch cover not delay ready access to the switch? Sounds like it needs to be relocated for safety, and kept quick to select. What would be the need to access the clutch switch in an emergency? If the clutch actuator fails, you typically pull the breaker so it can't change any more. In all the piston helis I've flown, there's a cover on the clutch switch and on some, a locking cover that physically holds the switch's bat in position. Perhaps, but if the pilot has already hit it with his head, the cover will just make it a bigger obstacle. Next time it might pull his headset and hat over his eyes while landing. It's personal preference for sure, but I really like the idea of having switches in plain site, easy reach, and out of the way. Kind of makes me wonder though. If the pilot could have easily seen and reached the switch, could you reduce power and re-engage the clutch in time to possibly save an auto? |
#8
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Clutch switch position
Steve R wrote:
Going slightly off topic, and I'm not meaning to put anyone down here, but why is it that just about every emergency autorotation I hear about results in significant damage to the helicopter? Most folks walk away from them, which is good, but some don't. This seems to be fairly common even among aircraft that have the reputation of being relatively forgiving in this mode. Are autorotations "that" critical or are the successful ones simply not considered to be worthy of news so I'm not hearing/reading about them? I think it more because you just don't here about the ones that DON'T result in significant damage. |
#9
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Clutch switch position
"601XL Builder" wrDOTgiacona@suddenlinkDOTnet wrote in message
... Steve R wrote: Going slightly off topic, and I'm not meaning to put anyone down here, but why is it that just about every emergency autorotation I hear about results in significant damage to the helicopter? Most folks walk away from them, which is good, but some don't. This seems to be fairly common even among aircraft that have the reputation of being relatively forgiving in this mode. Are autorotations "that" critical or are the successful ones simply not considered to be worthy of news so I'm not hearing/reading about them? I think it more because you just don't here about the ones that DON'T result in significant damage. I truly hope so. You see news reports of fixed wingers putting it down on an Interstate or something from time to time with no damage or injuries. Granted that's a little more noticeable than a helo successfully putting it down in a field somewhere but you'd think that one or two of them would show up on the local or national news "sometimes!" The best I remember seeing was a Houston Police helicopter, a variant of the MD500, that did an emergency auto into a local high school football field. The field was vacant at the time. The aircraft remained on it's skids, which is what I found unique about this one, but was missing the tail boom just aft of the fuselage and had significant damage to the rotor system as a result of the blade strike. All souls on board walked away with no injuries. Fly Safe, Steve R. |
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