CH12414
Sea King
16
June 1999
12 Wing Shearwater NS
The mission was a proficiency training flight for water
take-offs and landings and the crew had just completed
a crew change of the right seat pilot, a qualified co-pilot
from an operational squadron.
Because of the proximity of other aircraft, the crew
believed that a sharp turn would be required to ensure
aircraft separation while taxiing clear of the parking
area.
The copilot commenced a rapid turn to the right to
depart the ramp. As both pilots turned their heads to
the right to confirm clearance from any obstacles, they
noticed that the rotor tip path plane was moving down
the windscreen. The copilot reacted with two shots of
aft beeper trim, but the aircraft began to rotate forward
about the main landing gear. The copilot then reacted
by pulling back on the cyclic.
As a result of the aft cyclic input, the tailwheel
hit the ground and failed. The main rotor continued
aft, striking the #4 section of the tailrotor driveshaft,
causing the loss of tail rotor drive. The crew felt
and heard some bangs; the aircraft bounced several times
and yawed 30 degrees to the right. The instructor pilot
took control, ordered an emergency shutdown and the
crew evacuated the aircraft safely. There were no injuries
in this occurrence.
Areas that are being explored on this occurrence relate
to crew performance, pilot technique and loss of situational
awareness due to fixation of attention on one aspect
of a manoeuvre at the expense of aircraft control.
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