A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is on the scene of the fatal January 4 crash of a Sikorsky S-76C++ operated by PHI of Lafayette, La. The aircraft was carrying two crewmembers and seven oil field workers when it went down in a marsh seven minutes after taking off from a base in Amelia. One oil worker survived and is in stable condition at an area hospital. Initial reports indicate the pilot did not report any problems with the aircraft prior to takeoff, nor was a distress call received. NTSB investigators in Washington, D.C. will review the aircraft’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders for clues. For related news
Boeing's Proposed AH-6S Phoenix
During a luncheon hosted by Boeing for members of the press attending the Army Aviation Symposium and Exposition outside of Washington, D.C., Charles (Mike) Burke, Boeing’s director of Army rotorcraft development, provided a description of the company’s proposed Little Bird variant, the AH-6S Phoenix. Described as a stretched version of the civilian MD-500, the single-engine aircraft will sport a cabin that is 15 inches longer and use six main rotor blades instead of five, and four tail rotor blades instead of two. The additional space and a beefier power plant will allow the aircraft to carry two additional soldiers; up from four, including the two pilots. For related news
This is a 1962 HH-43B Huskie built and owned by the Kaman Aerospace Company. The design first saw service carrying U.S. military firefighters and their equipment to the scene of crashes near airbases in Vietnam. While it was the first production helicopter to incorporate a turbine engine, it is best known for its side-by-side, intermeshing rotor system, which produces tremendous lift with minimal rotor downwash. N43FK is one of only a few Huskies still in service, and is used by Kaman to transition pilots into its single-seat descendant, the K-Max.
Cover Story Military: On the Horizon?
The outlook for U.S. military rotorcraft programs as the Obama administration comes to power might look bleak at first glance. Incoming President Obama’s defense team inherits two costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a plan Obama supports to expand the...
Richard Whittle
Executive Outlook
"We really hand over the heavy lifting of the edit duties this month to our writers who work directly with industry vendors to create this unique section." By now you may have noticed that there is an all new photo up on the front pages of this magazine to go along with the monthly note there from... More »
