Alaska State Trooper crash report

[Roger Roger]

Interesting reading.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/artic...troubling-picture-alaska-state-troopers-pilot

Particularly interesting excerpts.

As a trooper commander admitted to NTSB investigators, the events surrounding the crash of Helo-1 near Talkeetna were "nearly identical" to those surrounding the crash of a New Mexico State Police helicopter in 2009 that killed two and led to a nationwide safety warning to police agencies.

Nading's bosses told investigators the pilot "was dedicated to his job and that there was also an element of financial motivation due to the premium pay. The pilot told the section commander more than once that the premium pay he earned was important because it allowed him to support his family ... The section commander said that any time he talked to the pilot about adjusting his schedule or bringing in another pilot to share the standby duty, the pilot would complain that this was going to take away from his overtime pay."

The NTSB report reveals 18 accidents involving Alaska State Trooper aircraft since July 1, 1999, including a previous accident in which Nading wrecked a helicopter in 2006 while trying to take off from a lake north of Cook Inlet. Neither Nading nor his two passengers were injured in that accident, but the helicopter "sustained substantial damage."

Alaska Mountain Rescue Group volunteer Scott Horacek, who regularly flew with Nading, told the NTSB that "the pilot was 'always worried' about losing his job." The pilot told him after the 2006 Helo-1 accident that he thought he was going to be fired and that after another minor incident in 2009 "he was being blamed for damaging the helicopter again."

Taken in their entirety, the NTSB report's observations on how Nading was paid, how he was supervised, how flight decisions were made, and how he feared for his job paint a picture of a systemic problem within the trooper organization.

 

[exneophyte]

A couple of weeks before she gave notice that she was leaving, a trooper pilot nosed over a Piper PA-18 Super Cub at a remote site; he and his supervisor, neither of whom was an airframe and power plant mechanic, changed the propeller; and the trooper pilot then flew the airplane back to his base.

Stupid question, but are there any circumstance where this would be legal?

 

[Roger Roger]

Only time I can think is if your alternative is spending the night with hungry bears. Which if someone was able to bring out a prop, I would imagine the FAA would not take as an excuse. At least they did not in the case of the guy that duct taped the fuselage of his Super Cub to get out. Might have got away with it had he had the duct tape with him, but he had someone fly out and bring duct tape and tires, therefore he could have gotten a ride home.

 

[exneophyte]

Only time I can think is if your alternative is spending the night with hungry bears. Which if someone was able to bring out a prop, I would imagine the FAA would not take as an excuse. At least they did not in the case of the guy that duct taped the fuselage of his Super Cub to get out. Might have got away with it had he had the duct tape with him, but he had someone fly out and bring duct tape and tires, therefore he could have gotten a ride home.

Thanks, I guess I could see the life and death justification. Was also curious if law enforcement maybe got some extra leeway on the regs.

 

[alaskadrifter]

You will find a lot of Ak guys are good at keeping 'incidences' on the down low. I know troopers are not getting rich, but it doesn't seem like they should be struggling to provide on their salary.