Photo: SuppliedSpeed may have contributed to a helicopter breaking up and crashing into Lake Wanaka leaving pilot Matthew Wallis dead, an investigation has found. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) today released its final report into the July crash and found mast bumping caused an in-flight breakup of the helicopter over Lake Wanaka. Mast bumping occurs when a two-bladed teetering rotor head see-saws (teeters) so much that its inside edge strikes its own main drive shaft (the mast). “In this case mast bumping caused a main rotor blade to bend down so far that it struck and entered the helicopter cabin, the helicopter broke up in flight, descended, impacted the lake, and sank,” Ms Meares said. The TAIC Watch List item on mast bumping already recommended concerted action to promote safe operation of Robinson helicopters

Source: Otago Daily Times November 26, 2020 00:00 UTC