Professional English

Flightpath
AVIATION ENGLISH FOR PILOTS AND ATCOs

Case study 1 Helicopter operations

Lead-in
1 What types of operation are large helicopters used for? For example, forestry, search and rescue …
a What are the main safety concerns associated with these types of operation?
b What are the characteristics of such a helicopter in terms of range, ceiling, payload, speed?
c What are the main differences between fixed-wing and rotary-wing flying?

Part 1
2 Read Part 1 of the article and decide if sentences a–j are true or false.
a The helicopter was flying to St. John’s Newfoundland.
b It was a night flight.
c The cruise altitude was 900 feet.
d The helicopter was flying to an oil rig in the Atlantic.
e The estimated duration of the flight was approximately one hour and a half.
f The first information the crew had about a technical problem was a red MGB OIL PRES warning light.
g The warning light was accompanied by a warning bell.
h The gearbox oil pressure decreased very rapidly.
i The captain contacted area control.
j The crew requested clearance to fly to Gander.

RUNNING ON EMPTY By Linda Werfelman

A fatal S-92A crash prompts a TSB (Transport Track of Accident Helicopter

Safety Board) call for action to keep large transport
helicopters running for at least 30 minutes without Outbound from St. John’s

main gearbox oil. following oil pressure loss

The helicopter departed from St. John’s International St. John’s

Airport, (Newfoundland, off the east coast of Canada),
at 0917 local time and, at 0932, levelled off at 9,000 Cape Spear
ft; the amended instrument flight plan estimated a Impact Hibern
120 ia
1040 arrival time at the oil rig. At 0945, according to (222 knm
m)

data from the flight data recorder (FDR), MGB (main

gearbox) oil pressure began decreasing. An amber
St. John’s
International Airport

“MGB OIL PRES” caution message illuminated and was Portugal Cove
followed almost immediately by a red “MGB OIL PRES”
warning message, accompanied by the aural warning St. John’s
4.5 nm

of “GEARBOX PRESSURE … GEARBOX PRESSURE.” The

crew began checklist procedures, and by 0945, MGB oil 0 10 nm 0 5 nm

pressure had decreased to less than 5 psi, down from

Cape Spear
20 km 0 10 km
0

the normal range of between 45 and 70 psi. Source: Transportation Safety Board of Canada

“The combination of the red ‘MGB OIL PRES’ warning

tely’ condition, as per the S-92A Rotorcraft
message … and MGB oil pressure below 5 psi … constituted a ‘land immedia
cy and requested clearance from the Gander
Flight Manual,” the report said, noting that the captain declared an emergen
area control centre (ACC) to return to St. John’s.
Text adapted from Aero Safety World,
March 2011, with permission.

1 © Cambridge University Press 2011 PHOTOCOPIABLE

 Professional English

Flightpath
AVIATION ENGLISH FOR PILOTS AND ATCOs

Case study 1 Helicopter operations

3 Cover the article. Complete these extracts with a suitable verb in the past simple. Then read again and
check.
a The helicopter from St. John’s International Airport …
b The amended instrument flight plan a 1040 arrival time …
c … MGB (main gearbox) oil pressure decreasing …
d An amber “MGB OIL PRES” caution message …
e … and was almost immediately by a red “MGB OIL PRES” warning message
f … the captain an emergency …
g … and clearance from the Gander area control centre (ACC) to return to St John’s.

4 Prepare a flight plan for a helicopter flight between two points in airspace that you know from your own
experience. Include details of ETD, headings, cruise altitude, VFR/IFR, weather conditions, passengers /
payload, ETA). In pairs, take turns to describe the flight plan, take notes and read back for confirmation.

Part 2
5 Read Part 2 of the article and complete the table below.

ACC issued:
ACC began issuing radar vectors, and seconds later, after the
pilots turned the helicopter back toward the airport, 54 nautical
miles (100 km) to the west, they began a descent. At 0947, Distance from
MGB oil pressure was 0 psi. The pilots discussed emergency airport
preparations with ACC and the company dispatcher, and at Oil pressure at
0951, the first officer said that the helicopter was in a “land 09:47
immediately” condition. The captain responded by saying he Pilots contacted:
planned to level the helicopter at 1,000 ft, but the helicopter
descended to 800 ft — to “provide approximately 300 ft of Captain intended
terrain clearance over the highest point of land on the direct to level at:
track” to the St. John’s airport and about 600 ft above the
Helicopter
highest point near Cape Spear, the piece of land closest to the
descended to:
helicopter’s position.
Clearance with
At 0952, in response to a question from the Cougar dispatcher,
terrain:
the crew said they believed a ditching was “possible” rather
than “imminent” or “probable.” Crew thought
ditching:
At 0955, the captain indicated to Cougar Dispatch that they
were ditching. Less than one minute later, the helicopter struck Time of accident:
the water in a slight right-bank, nose high attitude. Both crew
members and 15 out of the 16 passengers drowned. Survivors:

6 Transform these sentences in indirect speech into direct speech.

The pilot said that …
a they were in a ‘land immediately’ condition. We are in a ‘land immediately’ condition.
b the red warning was illuminated.
c the aural warning was sounding.
d the oil pressure was dropping.
e he wanted to turn back to Saint John’s
f the passengers had donned their life vests and survival equipment.
g he couldn’t maintain his altitude.
h they had to consult the SOPs.

NOTE: You may find the Language Focus boxes on pages 118 and 120 of Flightpath useful for this exercise.

2 © Cambridge University Press 2011 PHOTOCOPIABLE

 Professional English

Flightpath
AVIATION ENGLISH FOR PILOTS AND ATCOs

Case study 1 Helicopter operations

Part 3
A “complex web” of factors, including a total loss of oil in the
transmission’s main gearbox (MGB), led to the fatal crash of the
S-92A, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said in
its subsequent report. The helicopter was manufactured in 2006
and had total airframe time of 2,194 hours and 1,773 cycles. It
was configured for two crewmembers and up to 17 passengers.
The helicopter was certified and equipped as specified by
regulations, and maintenance records did not indicate that there
were any problems before the accident flight.
The MGB is part of the helicopter’s main transmission assembly.
The oil filter bowl in the accident helicopter was attached to the
MGB housing with “three equally spaced titanium alloy stud and
self-locking nut assemblies,” the report said.
The TSB supplemented its final report on the March 12, 2009,
accident with safety recommendations calling for major changes
in helicopter operations, including one provision to require S-92s
and other large transport helicopters to be capable of operating
for at least 30 minutes after a massive loss of MGB oil.
7 Read Part 3.What is the purpose of the
main gearbox (MGB) and where is it located
on the helicopter?
8 What was the Transport Safety Board’s main
recommendation? How do you think this
could be achieved?
9 Describe the purpose, location and
characteristics of a major working part of a
helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft which you
are familiar with.
10 Can you think of any other measures which
would make long helicopter flights over
water safer?
11 With your partner, plan how you would
organise an investigation into the causes
of such an accident, make a list of the
information you would require and define
the various steps and actions in the
investigation. Then present your plans to
the group and discuss any differences in
approach.

Glossary
aural warning: a warning which can be heard (compare visual warning)
ditching: landing on water
filter bowl: part of a mechanical system which contains a filter element
massive: very large
self-locking nut: a nut which blocks itself in position when tightened
stud: a headless bolt designed to hold a part in place

NOTE: You can also use the Flightpath Glossary of Aviation Terms at www.cambridge.org/elt/flightpath.

Additional resources
◆ For a video on a new high-speed, hybrid helicopter (Eurocopter X3), see:
http://www.hightech-edge.com/eurocopter-x3-high-speed-hybrid-helicopter-h3/9717/
◆ For more information about the Sikorsky S-92, see: http://www.flightglobal.com/
articles/2001/02/06/125720/helicopter-technology-setting-the-standards.html
◆ For an on-line helicopter magazine: www.helicoptersmagazine.com; www.verticalreference.com
◆ For helicopter manufacturers: www.agustawestland.com; www.bellhelicopter.com;
www.eurocopter.com; www.sikorsky.com;
◆ For a helicopter flight training manual: www.tc.gc.ca/publications/EN/TP9982/PDF/HR/TP9982E.pdf
◆ For an interview with Michel Trémaud, a former director of Airbus, about the role of the Flight Safety
Foundation, see the Flightpath website: www.cambridge.org/elt/flightpath

3 © Cambridge University Press 2011 PHOTOCOPIABLE