# "All Sea King helicopters grounded after N.S. incident"



## The Bread Guy

This from CBC.ca:


> All Canadian Sea King helicopters have been grounded pending an investigation into an incident late Monday night at a Canadian Forces Base near Halifax, the Department of National Defence has announced.
> 
> A Sea King helicopter struck the tarmac with its main rotors just before midnight Monday during a landing at CFB Shearwater in Eastern Passage, N.S., after a training flight.
> 
> DND confirmed that the helicopter experienced a “flight safety occurrence.”
> 
> The CBC’s Paul Withers reports a hangar on the air base was also damaged by the debris. The rotors were sheared off.
> 
> DND said the four crew members aboard the aircraft were not injured ....



A bit more detail from the _Halifax Chronicle-Herald_:


> All flights in and out of 12 Wing Shearwater have been suspended after one of its aging Sea King helicopters tipped over as it landed Monday night.
> 
> “There were four people on the helicopter — no injuries which was a miracle because the helicopter is a write-off,” a source at 12 Wing Shearwater told thechronicleherald.ca.
> 
> Public affairs officer Lieut. Len Hickey confirmed that all flights in and out of 12 Wing Shearwater have been suspended as the investigation continues.
> 
> Hickey said the chopper “safely landed and it taxied onto the ramp and what happened was the tail rotor lifted and the main rotor actually made contact with the ground.” The incident happened at 11:43 p.m.
> 
> “Obviously, there’s some significant damage to the helicopter and some of the nearby buildings.”
> 
> Hickey said the crew was examined by medical staff and released with no injuries.
> 
> A source who works at the base told the chronicleherald.ca that the chopper had returned from a routine night flying exercise when trouble began.
> 
> “The Sea King started to lift over onto its side and the ground crew had to run. It basically just went over on its side and you can see shrapnel through ... the hangar.”
> 
> He said the crew hadn’t reported any difficulty until the landing, just as two ground crew members were about to put wood chocks behind and in front of its wheels to prevent it from rolling.
> 
> “That’s when everything went haywire,” he said.
> 
> The Sea King wasn’t far from a hangar at the time.
> 
> “It even sent shrapnel through one of the doors of the hangar, piercing a pipe on the opposite side of the hangar,” the source said.
> 
> The director of flight safety is heading the investigation into the incident ....



Good to hear nobody was injured.


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## jacob_ns

Just as an FYI, the comments from the Chronicle Herald were leaked to the media and aren't that accurate.


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## The Bread Guy

jacob_ns said:
			
		

> Just as an FYI, the comments from the Chronicle Herald were leaked to the media and aren't that accurate.


Good point - most people here take most media coverage with a grain of salt, but probably more so coverage with un-named sources.


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## jollyjacktar

I'm glad as well that no one was injured, it could have been very messy.  I'm sure the investigation will quickly get to the heart of the matter.


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## AirDet

This is a good time not to hold the Flight Safety Investigation qual and Seaking quals. Mind you, this is the best time of year to visit Halifax.

Another testament to the solid build of the old girl... nobody was injured. Try that in a Griffon.


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## AirDet

Does anyone have any more information on the Sea King Crash on the tarmac in 12 Wing? CBC shows only 2 pictures. 

It kind of reminds me of what happened to the S-61 operated by Coulson Helo Logging in the mid-90s. They came to the first Sea King Symposium hoping we had some answers for them. They weren't so lucky as this crew; theirs was fatal.


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## SeaKingTacco

Before anyone gets the bright idea to post any information in response to this thread, the only authorized spokesperson in this matter is Commander, 12 Wing.


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## jacob_ns

SeaKingTacco said:
			
		

> Before anyone gets the bright idea to post any information in response to this thread, the only authorized spokesperson in this matter is Commander, 12 Wing.



This is pretty much all there is to say. 

I nearly choked when I saw the photos on Facebook this morning, before I knew they were released by DND. I though someone was in for a world of hurt.


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## AirDet

Somebody released pictures? Hmmm. Maybe they should be not so subtly reminded that taking pictures on a defense installation is not only forbidden with out authority but it's also illegal.


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## PuckChaser

AirDet said:
			
		

> Somebody released pictures? Hmmm. Maybe they should be not so subtly reminded that taking pictures on a defense installation is not only forbidden with out authority but it's also illegal.



You go ahead and recommend charges to the PAffO that released them.  :


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## cupper

jacob_ns said:
			
		

> This is pretty much all there is to say.
> 
> I nearly choked when I saw the photos on Facebook this morning, *before I knew they were released by DND*. I though someone was in for a world of hurt.





			
				AirDet said:
			
		

> Somebody released pictures? Hmmm. Maybe they should be not so subtly reminded that taking pictures on a defense installation is not only forbidden with out authority but it's also illegal.





			
				PuckChaser said:
			
		

> You go ahead and recommend charges to the PAffO that released them.  :



Or at least learn to read the whole comment.


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## cupper

I suppose it's safe to say that this airframe will be retired rather than rebuilt, since we have new choppers coming on line at some point (maybe?, possibly?, eventually?, someday?)


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## kratz

cupper said:
			
		

> I suppose it's safe to say that this airframe will be retired rather than rebuilt, since we have new choppers coming on line at some point (maybe?, possibly?, eventually?, someday?)



The procurement process has delayed the final purchase 23 years already.
In Ottawa time, this means we will see replacements on deck in 2044.
(about 16 years before the new ships arrive)


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## JorgSlice

kratz said:
			
		

> The procurement process has delayed the final purchase 23 years already.
> In Ottawa time, this means we will see replacements on deck in 2044.
> (about 16 years before the new ships arrive)



Knowing PWGSC, 2043 will arrive and they'll cancel the whole thing only to purchase a patchwork hybrid of old condemned models of Blackhawks, Sea Kings, and Cyclones. Which will also be delayed for decades.


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## cupper

Well, in the interim we could always rent out the flight deck of the frigates to the allies whilst sailing the high seas.


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## jollyjacktar

cupper said:
			
		

> Well, in the interim we could always rent out the flight deck of the frigates to the allies whilst sailing the high seas.



Hey hey now.   That'd get in the way of Banyans.


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## PuckChaser

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/sea-king-helicopters-cleared-to-fly-after-grounding-1.1375552

Seakings back in the air. Until one crashes again.


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## cupper

PuckChaser said:
			
		

> http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/sea-king-helicopters-cleared-to-fly-after-grounding-1.1375552
> 
> Seakings back in the air. Until one crashes again.



Don't you mean hundreds of loose parts flying in formation?


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## PuckChaser

cupper said:
			
		

> Don't you mean hundreds of loose parts flying in formation?



I thought the gun tape held them all together so they weren't loose....


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## dapaterson

For those interested:  CBC has posted two of the photos.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/07/18/ns-seaking-photos-crash.html


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## FutureSight

Any word when the Sea King replacements, Cyclones I believe, are coming online?


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## The Bread Guy

RookieMistake said:
			
		

> Any word when the Sea King replacements, Cyclones I believe, are coming online?


A whole thread's worth of history here, with the latest news:  someone's looking into it.


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## daftandbarmy

A Sea King flew overhead when we were sitting outside at dinner yesterday with friends near Sidney. One of the kids looks up and says "Look Dad, it's a crash-i-copter!


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## jollyjacktar

those amazing young man in their flying machines they go up tiddy up up, they go down tiddy down down


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## CougarKing

Perhaps it's time to change the title of this thread to: "Sea Kings: last legs?"

CBC




> *Sea King helicopter towed down street after emergency landing*
> CBCCBC – 7 hours ago
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Commuters stuck in traffic in Eastern Passage, N.S., last evening may have been surprised to see a Canadian Sea King helicopter was the cause of the backlog.
> 
> The helicopter made an emergency landing in a field near the small Nova Scotia community before being towed down a street, causing some traffic headaches during rush hour.*
> 
> "It's in fine shape. It just looked like it may have had a little bit of fire damage," said Naomi Robinson, who lives nearby.
> 
> Air Force spokesman Alexandre Cadieux says the six-person crew was returning from a training flight when it had an in-flight emergency.
> A sensor in the gear box detected an anomaly. The crew landed at the helipad at Hartland Point Golf Course and the chopper was then towed to 12 Wing Shearwater.
> 
> No one was injured.
> 
> The military's fleet of Sea Kings is now 50 years old.
> 
> (...SNIPPED)


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## Harris

I'm not a pilot, nor do I play one on TV, but it seems to me that when referring to helos, "It's in fine shape. It just looked like it may have had a little bit of fire damage", is a statement with mutually exclusive points.


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## Baz

Wben the same article mentions what the problem was, a gear box anomaly which was actually a chip light, why would the press quote someone who doesn't have a clue saying it has fire damage.  Does anyone care that the crews have to explain to their families that we know what we are doing and the aircraft is safe.

We maintain the heliport at Hartlen's Point for a reason.  The decision was made to bring the aircraft back instead of doing an MRP.

I'm not saying that there aren't some serious issues we're dealing with, but just for once it would be nice to have some honest reporting, enough with the jokes, and people that don't know any better saying we are on our last legs.


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## kev994

I was wondering if by "fire damage" they meant JP-8 exhaust soot...


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## Baz

kev994 said:
			
		

> I was wondering if by "fire damage" they meant JP-8 exhaust soot...



My guess is that is what it is... the area immediately aft of the exhausts, plus the hoist fairing, is normally pretty dirty if it has flown since the last wash.


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