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Posted: 12/6/2014 12:23:53 AM EDT
Story Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The South Carolina National Guard says a Blackhawk helicopter will remain in a field off Interstate 77 for now after it had to make a precautionary landing. The UH-60 Blackhawk had to land at the location, which is near the Cayce Water Treatment Facility, at 4:18 p.m. Wednesday after experiencing a main rotor blade malfunction. The chopper is assigned to the 1-111th General Aviation Support Battalion. The guard says the helicopter will remain at the site until it's released by an Accident Investigation Board. Colonel James Barkley, the South Carolina State Aviation Officer, said this is the first time they've experienced an issue with the Blackhawk. "The aircrew training and stringent standards resulted in an incredible job performed by these S.C. Army National Guard aviators. Their experience operating in a combat environment translates back to their aviation roles stateside," said Barkley. They performed in an exemplary and outstanding job. At the end of the day, they went home to their families unscathed." "The successful emergency landing of our UH-60 Black Hawk speaks to the professionalism and skill of the aircrews in the S.C. Army National Guard," said Maj. Gen. Robert Livingston, the adjutant general for South Carolina. The guard is determining their options for moving the aircraft. |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 12:38:16 AM EDT
[#1]
Jesus......
It just wasn't their day to die. |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 12:43:46 AM EDT
[#2]
Meh...
I little epoxy and some duct tape, good to go. Or... I'll bet that jiggled some sacks... |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 12:44:38 AM EDT
[#3]
Yea, I bet they felt a vertical
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Posted: 12/6/2014 1:00:05 AM EDT
[#4]
Ruh oh. That looks like a complete skin delam with only the leading edge intact.
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Posted: 12/6/2014 1:23:22 AM EDT
[#5]
They probably ought to leave a door open to air the cabin out.
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Posted: 12/6/2014 9:32:29 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
They probably ought to leave a door open to air the cabin out. And replace the seat cushions due to bite marks. Nice job putting that down. |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 9:38:21 AM EDT
[#7]
No I know why those guys fly so low over my house on the weekends........don't have as far to fall!
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Posted: 12/6/2014 12:23:20 PM EDT
[#8]
Looks exactly like my Syma 107g. You can get a little more use out of it with judicious use of 5 min epoxy.
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Posted: 12/6/2014 1:17:28 PM EDT
[#9]
The guard is determining their options for moving the aircraft. Lowboy that pig! 
ETA: And when it takes up residence in the corner of the hangar, toss this up on the MR hub.....
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Posted: 12/6/2014 1:24:59 PM EDT
[#10]
Dumb question:
What are helicopter rotors made of? |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 1:30:03 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Dumb question: What are helicopter rotors made of? 
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Posted: 12/6/2014 1:38:18 PM EDT
[#12]
Why not truck in a new blade and bolt it to the rotor head? Fly it back to base carefully for a full engineering tear down and eval.
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Posted: 12/6/2014 1:44:00 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Why not truck in a new blade and bolt it to the rotor head? Fly it back to base carefully for a full engineering tear down and eval. It's not quite that simple. Such a catastrophic failure of a blade induces some serious vibration. There could very well be damage elsewhere to the aircraft as a result of those vibrations. Safest bet.....lowboy that sucker (or sling load it) home for correct maintenance. But had the circumstances been different, and the bird simply needed a new blade for reasons other than this, then yes, a new blade could be trucked in, replaced in the field, tracked and balanced, rotor smoothing completed, and flown home. ETA: From personal experience.....AH-1 Cobra M/R strikes tree during gunnery exercise, resulting in large baseball sized dent in leading edge of blade. Aircraft is trucked back to hangar for sudden stoppage and blade strike inspections along with resulting maintenance. Could it be done in the field? Sure it can. During peacetime, is it more economical to truck back to the hangar to inspect and repair? Sure it is. |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 2:36:54 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Dumb question: What are helicopter rotors made of? http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/images/images%20S-76/S76-11%20-%20Copy.jpg Thank you. Were they always of a similar configuration, or did early blades begin solid? |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 3:01:43 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thank you. Were they always of a similar configuration, or did early blades begin solid? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Dumb question: What are helicopter rotors made of? http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/images/images%20S-76/S76-11%20-%20Copy.jpg Thank you. Were they always of a similar configuration, or did early blades begin solid? Blade design has evolved over the years, like anything else. Fabric covered ribs, solid wood and like most blades today, honeycomb composite. ETA: Here you go......http://www.helicoptermaintenancemagazine.com/article/wood-composite-materials-evolution-rotor-blade |
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Posted: 12/6/2014 7:49:02 PM EDT
[#16]
That's something I've never seen before, glad the crew landed safely. I have seen one of our Blackhawks after a power line wire strike and the crew was also able to land safely.
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Posted: 12/6/2014 11:27:52 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Dumb question: What are helicopter rotors made of? http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/images/images%20S-76/S76-11%20-%20Copy.jpg Neat illustration. The company I work for makes the titanium spar material. We were told a while back that the US military blackhawks (and I suppose the seahawks and jayhawks) would be eliminating the titanium spar box, and be all non-metal composites. Only foreign sales were still supposed to get the blades with the Ti spar. We also make the Ti for the CH-53s. |
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Posted: 12/7/2014 10:20:54 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Neat illustration. The company I work for makes the titanium spar material. We were told a while back that the US military blackhawks (and I suppose the seahawks and jayhawks) would be eliminating the titanium spar box, and be all non-metal composites. Only foreign sales were still supposed to get the blades with the Ti spar. We also make the Ti for the CH-53s. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Dumb question: What are helicopter rotors made of? http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/images/images%20S-76/S76-11%20-%20Copy.jpg Neat illustration. The company I work for makes the titanium spar material. We were told a while back that the US military blackhawks (and I suppose the seahawks and jayhawks) would be eliminating the titanium spar box, and be all non-metal composites. Only foreign sales were still supposed to get the blades with the Ti spar. We also make the Ti for the CH-53s. Interesting info, thanks. I've had the opportunity to visit a blade repair shop run by a major helicopter mfgr. Pretty interesting stuff. |
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Posted: 12/7/2014 2:48:10 PM EDT
[#19]
EEEEEK!
Back fell off. |
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Posted: 12/7/2014 11:19:14 PM EDT
[#20]
I'd love to buy the pilot a beer. Helluva a stick, to put that on the ground right-side up.
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Posted: 12/7/2014 11:23:28 PM EDT
[#21]
This is an easy fix. Get a dremel tool and do the same thing to the opposite blade!
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Posted: 12/7/2014 11:35:28 PM EDT
[#22]
Are there strip heaters on the leading edges for ice removal? Is it a weeping wing style?
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Posted: 12/8/2014 4:23:27 AM EDT
[#23]
Dang
Good job putting that down safely! |
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Posted: 12/8/2014 4:42:00 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Are there strip heaters on the leading edges for ice removal? Is it a weeping wing style? Im pretty sure it uses bleed air, but a hawk guy will be along eventually I am sure. |
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Posted: 12/8/2014 4:45:38 AM EDT
[#25]
Meh, the strong part is still intact.
Can a CH-47 pick that up as, or do they need to strip some weight first? |
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Posted: 12/8/2014 4:48:18 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Meh, the strong part is still intact. Can a CH-47 pick that up as, or do they need to strip some weight first? I can pick up about 15000lbs before I need to worry about how much gas I am carrying. I have never personally carried more than 18000lbs. A hawk would be an easy slingload. |
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Posted: 12/8/2014 6:07:50 AM EDT
[#27]
BDAR time!
Bust out the 100mph tape. |
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Posted: 12/8/2014 8:48:53 AM EDT
[#28]
Those blades have a metal spar that takes the centrifugal load, the entire missing area is just composite airfoil and not structural. Heating is electric on the leading edge only. The blades on a blackhawk were designed to take heavy damage like that without coming apart. Even bullet holes through the spar won't make the blades come apart.
That missing material is probably a few dozen pounds off the 200lb blade which would make for some extreme vibrations. The aircraft will fly just like it always does though. Good chance of structural damage to the airframe with that much vibration. |
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Posted: 12/8/2014 5:48:24 PM EDT
[#29]
They slung load it out with a Chinook.
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Posted: 12/9/2014 12:18:20 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Im pretty sure it uses bleed air, but a hawk guy will be along eventually I am sure. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Are there strip heaters on the leading edges for ice removal? Is it a weeping wing style? Im pretty sure it uses bleed air, but a hawk guy will be along eventually I am sure. It's been 20 years plus since I've been around a 'Hawk, and I wasn't a 'Hawk guy, but I think they're bleed air as well. |
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Posted: 12/9/2014 8:16:37 AM EDT
[#31]
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Posted: 12/9/2014 2:08:33 PM EDT
[#32]
Well I guess that blade is not going back to the blade shop. I have about 14 years of maintenance experience with Black Hawk Helicopters and have never seen a blade do that.
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Posted: 12/10/2014 8:49:17 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It's been 20 years plus since I've been around a 'Hawk, and I wasn't a 'Hawk guy, but I think they're bleed air as well. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Are there strip heaters on the leading edges for ice removal? Is it a weeping wing style? Im pretty sure it uses bleed air, but a hawk guy will be along eventually I am sure. It's been 20 years plus since I've been around a 'Hawk, and I wasn't a 'Hawk guy, but I think they're bleed air as well. Hawk guy here. The blades use an electric element on the blade to deice. A malfunctioning Blade De-Ice system has been known to cause blade failures. I have not seen one like that from a de-Ice failure. |
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Posted: 12/11/2014 4:31:20 AM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Dumb question: What are helicopter rotors made of? Depends on the helo.... Blackhawk rotors -> honeycomb core, composite skin & a metal leading edge, with a removable tip-cap.... |
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Posted: 12/11/2014 4:34:33 AM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Im pretty sure it uses bleed air, but a hawk guy will be along eventually I am sure. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Are there strip heaters on the leading edges for ice removal? Is it a weeping wing style? Im pretty sure it uses bleed air, but a hawk guy will be along eventually I am sure. Been a good bit since I worked on blackhawk blades (not aviation any longer)... But I seem to remember no bleed-holes/ice-boot/etc anywhere on the ones i worked with... IIRC electrically heated...
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Posted: 12/11/2014 5:00:53 AM EDT
[#36]
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Posted: 12/11/2014 9:22:40 AM EDT
[#37]
So am I reading that right, that the autorotation caused the blade to come apart?
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Posted: 12/11/2014 12:35:38 PM EDT
[#38]
That article made my head hurt. It provided zero information. An autorotation would not hurt a blade like that.
Even if one engine died they could fly and hover with only one engine, To auto onto the ground both engines would have to not be running. Most likely scenario based on limited information: blade fails at altitude, they "auto" to near the ground and land normally. If there was an engine problem it was probably fod from pieces of the blade. |
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Posted: 12/11/2014 2:19:32 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
That article made my head hurt. It provided zero information. An autorotation would not hurt a blade like that. Even if one engine died they could fly and hover with only one engine, To auto onto the ground both engines would have to not be running. Most likely scenario based on limited information: blade fails at altitude, they "auto" to near the ground and land normally. If there was an engine problem it was probably fod from pieces of the blade. Your comments make me feel better. I was trying to figure out how an autorotation would do that to a blade and thought the same thing about the "engine issue". |
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Posted: 12/11/2014 6:36:40 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
snip.. Most likely scenario based on limited information: blade fails at altitude, they "auto" to near the ground and land normally. If there was an engine problem it was probably fod from pieces of the blade. This. Good on the PAC for getting down in a hurry, right side up, and one piece(ish). Pretty sure if that ever happened to me i'd be pulling pieces of flight suit and seat cushion out of my ass from then until retirement. |
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Posted: 12/15/2014 8:01:41 PM EDT
[#41]
Hawk blades are in fact heated with electric blankets that use an Element on time to control how hot the blade gets. There is an electric brush on the top of the Main Rotor head that passes voltage to the blankets as they spin around and make contact with the inboard part of the brush.
If the main rotor de-ice were turned on in a warm environment, or malfunctioned and was on constant instead of EOT it could cause the blades to de-laminate in such a manner. I saw this once before in 2006 back when I was still a mechanic, The blade de-ice system failed in flight in a manner that voltage was supplied constantly to the heating elements in the main rotor blades. This caused all four main rotor blades to begin de-laminating right behind the spar. In the case I had just mentioned, no material left the blade, it just peeled up leaving an air gap behind the spar into the honeycomb, looked an awful lot like a book that had gotten wet and dried out in an awkward manner, all wavy and such. Not saying this was the casue in this case as I have no inside information what so ever, just trying to clear up the questions on the Main rotor blade de ice and offer a little insight into something similar I once saw. |
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Posted: 12/17/2014 10:34:51 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
That article made my head hurt. It provided zero information. An autorotation would not hurt a blade like that. Even if one engine died they could fly and hover with only one engine, To auto onto the ground both engines would have to not be running. Most likely scenario based on limited information: blade fails at altitude, they "auto" to near the ground and land normally. If there was an engine problem it was probably fod from pieces of the blade. There is two engines on that bird, complete engine failure is pretty unlikely. Could the bang be the blade coming apart and the loss of power be the transmission failing from the vibration? Forcing an auto rotation. Just a thought. |
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Posted: 12/18/2014 12:53:23 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Hawk guy here. The blades use an electric element on the blade to deice. A malfunctioning Blade De-Ice system has been known to cause blade failures. I have not seen one like that from a de-Ice failure. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Are there strip heaters on the leading edges for ice removal? Is it a weeping wing style? Im pretty sure it uses bleed air, but a hawk guy will be along eventually I am sure. It's been 20 years plus since I've been around a 'Hawk, and I wasn't a 'Hawk guy, but I think they're bleed air as well. Hawk guy here. The blades use an electric element on the blade to deice. A malfunctioning Blade De-Ice system has been known to cause blade failures. I have not seen one like that from a de-Ice failure. I guess that makes sense. The Apache uses electric de-icing (I've hooked up enough of those little cannon plugs to know that) |
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