"Prairie Fire" x2

[Deadhead 63A1]

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

Only if he wanted to hear it. You could select any of the comms that you wanted active at any given time.

Later
Martin

Cool, thanks. Yeah, I'd definitely want to be able to turn some of the nets off if I needed to. It's kinda silly to have to listen to one pilot chat with another about overspeeding on the landing when they're on their way home while at the same time you're trying to listen to a guy in the ground and get him out of trouble.

[Ambush Master]

Did you hear the Aircrew talking about how close the Pink Panthers brought their support fire?? He said that his door gunner had a piece of schrapnel land in his lap!!!

Those guys did put it where we needed it!!!

The slick drivers would actually come in through the tops of the canopy while we were standing on the skids!! Hence the vectoring that the top cover C&C ship was giving. I've actually gotten on the ground and later found branches stuck in the laces of my boots and spats!!

Also, did you hear the Door Gunners open up as they were comming into the LZs!! They would hose the whole way in and out!!!

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally Posted by Deadhead 63A1

Cool, thanks. Yeah, I'd definitely want to be able to turn some of the nets off if I needed to. It's kinda silly to have to listen to one pilot chat with another about overspeeding on the landing when they're on their way home while at the same time you're trying to listen to a guy in the ground and get him out of trouble.

It did get confusing, but I never turned off a freq, just had to multi-task.

In addition to monitoring all the freq's, and guard channel, there was usually one of your crewmembers communicating via the intercom. That overspeed was a rotor overspeed, wasn't it?

I am going to have to listen to this again, it brings back a lot of memories! Some good!

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

Did you hear the Aircrew talking about how close the Pink Panthers brought their support fire?? He said that his door gunner had a piece of schrapnel land in his lap!!!

Those guys did put it where we needed it!!!

The slick drivers would actually come in through the tops of the canopy while we were standing on the skids!! Hence the vectoring that the top cover C&C ship was giving. I've actually gotten on the ground and later found branches stuck in the laces of my boots and spats!!

Also, did you hear the Door Gunners open up as they were comming into the LZs!! They would hose the whole way in and out!!!

Martin:

Thanks for the heads up, Brother!

Total team effort, all the way!

CPTAUSRET,

I believe so. I also Believe that he stated something like he "Couldn't get this thing to land!" Now that is the main rotor correct?

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally Posted by MAB32

CPTAUSRET,

I believe so. I also Believe that he stated something like he "Couldn't get this thing to land!" Now that is the main rotor correct?

MAB:

I am not sure just why a rotor overspeed would prevent slamming that thing on the ground. Unless he REALLY overstressed something. Was it rotor overspeed under power? If so, the engine (gas turbine) could have been overstressed. Here's something for you to read.




Transport Accident Investigation Commission Aviation Rail Marine


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Investigation 04-003
Bell/Garlick UH1B Iroquois helicopter, ZK-HSF, in-flight break-up, near Mokoreta, Southland, 23 April 2004

Report Extracts Full Report
O Abstract
O Safety Recommendations Download full report (808 kB PDF file)
Order hard copy: volume A83, price NZ $24.00 Order here

Abstract
On Friday 23 April 2004, Helicopter Services UH-1B helicopter ZK-HSF was on a ferry flight to Gore to facilitate maintenance work. En-route near Mokoreta a main rotor blade separated, the helicopter broke up and fell to the ground. The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed and the helicopter was destroyed.

The accident resulted from fatigue failure of a tension-torsion (TT) strap, a critical rotor hub component. The fatigue cracking had probably been initiated by an unreported rotor overspeed event.

Safety issues identified included:

· The need for pilots to understand the importance of reporting a rotor overspeed event

· The need for FAA and CAA airworthiness personnel and licensed maintenance engineers to recognise and respond to documented improper identification of critical finite-life components such as the TT straps

Safety recommendations to address these issues were made to the Director of Civil Aviation, and to the Administrator of the United States Federal Aviation Administration.


Safety Recommendations (SRs)

Ok, I understand that completely. I will listen to it again and see if I can hear more and figure out more details.

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally Posted by MAB32

Ok, I understand that completely. I will listen to it again and see if I can hear more and figure out more details.

Good.

The knowledge base, and information available on this website is as good as it gets!

[Retired W4]

Originally Posted by MAB32

....Ken "Shoebox" Carpenter is flying as the CR onboard the military version of the Cessna 210 Skymaster over Laos at this time.

I plan to listen to the tape when I get back to Georgia. As a purely technical correction, the Skymaster is a Cessna 336/337, not a 210. The mil version of the "Mixmaster" was the O-2, which was easily differentiated from a 336 by the presence of the hard points under the wings (for 2.75" rockets).


Dedicated C&C Hueys had radio consoles installed which had multiple FM, VHF, and UHF radios. That would probably explain the vast amount of traffic that apparently was on the recording. The typical slick had one of each.

Mouth shut until I get home to listen.

I stand corrected on the numerical designation between the 336 and the 210.

[kgoerz]

What was the deal with the Air Burst rounds. Then the one guy came back with "it wasn't an Air Burst" Some Dumb F*#$k threw a Grenade out the back"

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally Posted by kgoerz

What was the deal with the Air Burst rounds. Then the one guy came back with "it wasn't an Air Burst" Some Dumb F*#$k threw a Grenade out the back"

I have had a CE, or door gunner carry frag grenades onboard, we sometimes hovered over spider holes and dropped them.

What I think happened in that case was one of the Indigenous troopers threw it out. I have some copies of various "Tips of the trade" that were wrote out usually by the company's First Sergeant so everybody could see what has worked in the past and what hasn't. AM, do remember what those papers were called back then? The name seems to escape me right now.

Anyway, in one of those tips it mentions that you should never throw a grenade from out of a rescue chopper because their could still be Panther's, air support, and other hueys beneath you. Now the Americans on the RTs knew about this no-no but maybe an Indigenous Trooper(s) did not understand it and maybe out of fear or rage he tossed one out while they were climbing to escape enemy AA. IMHO and nothing more. Could be wrong too.

[CPTAUSRET]

"LESSONS LEARNED" ?

In a way, that sounds correct. I have heard that title somewhere before too. I'll have to dig through my library on SOG.