Why are there so many crashes of tour helicopters?

[brainhulk]

Remains of 6 people found at scene of tour helicopter crash in Hawaii

The grim announcement came hours after the wreckage of the helicopter, which had 7 aboard, was found on Kauai.

www.nbcnews.com

The cause of the crash has not been determined, but it is the third helicopter crash in Hawaii this year

Atot pilots, what's going on here? Maintenance? Flying in dangerous conditions? Inadequate pilot training? Trying to get that perfect angle "for the gram"?

 

[brianmanahan]

dunno. i'd love to go on one for the view, but there's no way i'll ever do it because of the risk.

 

[gill77]

I had the good fortune to fly a bit with my employer's pilot. He was legit. Ex-military, airlines.

He used to say that he still didn't believe those things could fly.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

but it is the third helicopter crash in Hawaii this year

I would say that's quite low considering the number of flights.

Meanwhile, there have been small plane crashes almost daily across the US.

 

[pmv]

I don't think it's specifically tour-helicopters. Helicopters just seem inherently risky to me.

Been a few incidents of rich business guys meeting their end like that (e.g. one a couple of years back that flew into a crane in central London...not to mention the case from ages ago that wiped out much of the NI security establishment top brass, or the police helicopter that crashed into a Glasgow pub). And with military missions my impression is as many guys seem to die in helicopter accidents as are killed by enemy action (wasn't it helicopter failures that doomed the Iran hostage rescue mission?).

And if the primary antagonist in an action movie gets into a helicopter you know the end credits aren't far off.

 

[brianmanahan]

Been a few incidents of rich business guys meeting their end like that (e.g. one a couple of years back that flew into a crane in central London...not to mention the case from ages ago that wiped out much of the NI security establishment top brass, or the police helicopter that crashed into a Glasgow pub).

yep the big one i remember is the country singer troy gentry

some dude offered him a copter tour shortly before a show and it was a fatal mistake

ended up being the pilot's fault

 

[zinfamous]

It's helicopters. The better question is why aren't there more?

 

[zinfamous]

I had the good fortune to fly a bit with my employer's pilot. He was legit. Ex-military, airlines.

He used to say that he still didn't believe those things could fly.

I once knew this guy that was a commercial helicopter pilot. Military/Fire rescue that did contract tours and things like that. He said that the only job that the helicopter pilot is doing, is preventing the machine from killing everyone inside it, because that is what it is constantly trying to do, haha.

...He also said there is a reason that no helicopter ever reaches "retirement" age (which I think is ~10 years?)

 

[BUTCH1]

I worked with a dude who did maintenance on helicopters for the Army for years, he told me that they are very maintenance-heavy vs a propeller or jet aircraft. Possibly these tour operators are pushing their machines too hard or proper maintenance is being neglected with thin profit margins in place. These operators do not face the same level of FAA scrutiny the airlines do.

 

[BUTCH1]

I don't think it's specifically tour-helicopters. Helicopters just seem inherently risky to me.

Been a few incidents of rich business guys meeting their end like that (e.g. one a couple of years back that flew into a crane in central London...not to mention the case from ages ago that wiped out much of the NI security establishment top brass, or the police helicopter that crashed into a Glasgow pub). And with military missions my impression is as many guys seem to die in helicopter accidents as are killed by enemy action (wasn't it helicopter failures that doomed the Iran hostage rescue mission?).

And if the primary antagonist in an action movie gets into a helicopter you know the end credits aren't far off.

In the Iran incident the copter's were not fitted with the proper intake filtration for the desert environment they were operating in.

 

[BoomerD]

Helicopters should not be able to fly at all. That they do without killing everyone every time is a miracle...

That said, I flew in a lot of helicopters during my time in the Corps. Survived every one...including a couple that were shot down. I've only been in one since then...that was a sightseeing tour on Maui in the early 00's with some friends. That pilot was a former Marine...and it was a great flight.

Really, it's not that there are so many tour helicopters that crash as compared to other helicopters, but rather that when they do, it makes big news.

 

[BUTCH1]

Helicopters should not be able to fly at all. That they do without killing everyone every time is a miracle...

That said, I flew in a lot of helicopters during my time in the Corps. Survived every one...including a couple that were shot down. I've only been in one since then...that was a sightseeing tour on Maui in the early 00's with some friends. That pilot was a former Marine...and it was a great flight.

Really, it's not that there are so many tour helicopters that crash as compared to other helicopters, but rather that when they do, it makes big news.

Yikes, what's it like when your taking hits and the bird starts to fail?, thanks for your service to our country BTW.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Meanwhile, another private plane crash today, this one in Maryland.

 

[zinfamous]

Meanwhile, another private plane crash today, this one in Maryland.

Yep, and this one very close to me. Took off from CP airport, which is even closer. nearly across the street.

 

[skyking]

there's a whole lot to flying helicopters and conditions they can get into. There are places you don't want to be, various combinations of airpeed and altitude that are just asking for trouble. if you play your cards right and always minimize your exposure, you stand a decent chance of recovering with an auto rotation after a power failure.
Turbine engine failures are statistically very rare. Unfortunately, when you add in mechanical failures and pilot errors, the numbers get up there.
As cool as it is to go on a helicopter tour, it is statistically safer (and cheaper) to go on a fixed-wing tour.