<EDIT> Turns out it was a 17yr old starts up helicopter at airshow

5Right_5Left

5Right_5Left

Well-Known Member


By Joe Steck – Mankato Times

MANKATO, MINN. — In a rather frightening incident at the Minnesota Air Spectacular in Mankato, the Mayo One helicopter was started by a member of the public, knocking over a tent at around 2:00 pm on Saturday.

“I was sitting near the helicopter when the blades started to turn and I wondered what was going on,” said a stunned Dave Kruse who was a member of the public watching the air show “a tent near the tail of the helicopter tipped over before someone turned it off. Luckily it looked like no one was injured.”

The Mayo One aircraft was removed from the air show on Sunday and is being inspected by aircraft maintenance according to the Mayo Clinic.

While incidents at air shows do occur; it is rare to see them happen on a static display air craft.

In a video by Argo Gushwa captured the incident.

The Mayo Clinic released a press release on the incident for the public.

Yesterday, June 27, 2015, at approximately 1:45pm, a Mayo One helicopter was inadvertently powered up by a member of the public while the aircraft was parked on static display at the Minnesota Air Spectacular in Mankato.

The Mayo One team quickly initiated shutdown procedures.

Two individuals suffered minor injuries when a nearby sun shade tipped over.

The Mayo One aircraft involved in the incident has been removed from service for inspection and maintenance, which is routine.

The safety of our patients, our team members and the general public is Mayo Clinic’s highest priority.

Mayo Clinic is conducting a thorough review and has proactively reported the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration.

No further information or statements are available at this time.
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Am I right in assuming many turbine helicopters are just a simple push button start which automatically introduces fuel at a certain percent of N1? Don't know too much about helicopters. @MikeD @Flyinhigh728 @MikeFavinger

http://mankatotimes.com/2015/06/28/...ed-by-spectator-at-minnesota-air-spectacular/
 
Itchy said:
Video removed. Did it fully start or just spool up a bit?
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The guy who shot the video must have started after it was already already spooled up and going. Looked to possibly be in a low idle, and the tent was already knocked over with people circled around the helo. It wasn't a very big tent, sort of looked like this:
tents_popup2.jpg


But having that fall over and hit you in the head would still hurt quite a bit.
 
Itchy said:
Video removed. Did it fully start or just spool up a bit?
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By the look of the video, the starter engaged but the engines never lit off.

Still, that CB needs to be pulled before any kids start climbing into the pilot seat.
 
5Right_5Left said:
Am I right in assuming many turbine helicopters are just a simple push button start which automatically introduces fuel at a certain percent of N1? Don't know too much about helicopters. @MikeD @Flyinhigh728 @MikeFavinger
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Every one I've flown had some sort of push-button starter which got the N1/NG going and then a throttle/condition level/control lever movement had to happen in order for the rest of the start-up to proceed. Without the fuel introduction the blades will just spin really slowly on whatever system runs the starter. In multi-engines you'd probably need an APU on (or ground power/ air cart depending on the system) to get it going all the way. Newer helicopters may just have a push-button system for the whole sequence these days - I don't really know.

Our SOP is to disconnect the battery prior to a static display.
 
All the pre-FADEC 58s required a manual introduction of fuel, by opening the throttle to the idle detent before an engine start could be accomplished. Without introducing fuel, you would simply spin the starter and burn the igniters all day long. Considering the battery life in the 58, all day long would actually be about 5-6 minutes.
 
I fly a similar helicopter to the one in the vid. They are stupid simple to start. The are full fadec and require 3 actions basically: 1)batt master on
2)fuel pump on(will start without, but not recommended)
3)flip the start switch to "on" or "idle".
Basically that's all there is to it. Some of them have flight idle on the same switch, and others you roll the throttle up to flight idle.
They are u like the Bells or most other turbine helos, in that the operator doesn't have to manipulate the throttle in any way to start the engine. Much easier than the "modulated" starts we used to do on the Long Rangers..talk about torching an engine quick haha!
 
Years ago I taxied an ATP Seminole over be a static display at the yearly IWA airshow. As nobody was going to be with the airplane for the duration of the show (6+ hours) we spent a good thirty minutes discussing which breakers to pull so as to disable any start attempts. Then we spent about an hour afterwards doing a preflight check on the thing to put back all the switches and what not that people had moved during the day.
 
If I were the head of Mayo Aviation, I would be advertising for a new pilot right about............now!

P.S. If you're going to be injured, better that it be at the hands of a hospital.
 
We usually do not leave the helicopter u attended at pr events, and I especially keep a keen eye on anyone sitting in my seat..they can throw a party in the back with the med crews crap, but not in the front seat haha
 
dustoff17 said:
If I were the head of Mayo Aviation, I would be advertising for a new pilot right about............now!

P.S. If you're going to be injured, better that it be at the hands of a hospital.
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Management AHOLE: "Oh hey Mr. Pilot. Would you like to represent our wonderful company at the local airshow? Girls will be watching and they will think you are a super hot PILOT."

ME: "How much money will I get. I'd better get about 4X or 5X my normal pay for sitting around in the heat babysitting morons." "Or how about NOPE!!!"

Management AHOLE: "SAD PANDA."
 
I only ever did one of those static displays once, I just disconnected the battery. If they can figure out how to start it without battery power or GPU hooked up they deserve to have it.
 
I'm not sure about those crazy Airbus type helicopters, but disconnecting the battery may not be an easy thing to do.

Its a shame my state doesn't support static displays much anymore.
It has more to do with funding, than inadvertent starts.

Like @SpiraMirabilis said, if you can start the Hawk, you can have it.
 
Nark said:
I'm not sure about those crazy Airbus type helicopters, but disconnecting the battery may not be an easy thing to do.

Its a shame my state doesn't support static displays much anymore.
It has more to do with funding, than inadvertent starts.

Like @SpiraMirabilis said, if you can start the Hawk, you can have it.
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On the Airbus, just go to the left baggage door , or the tail boom door if located there, and the battery cable is a big oxygen-tank-handle looking thing that screws into the battery. Takes 5 seconds to hook up.
 
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