The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed in

Neo

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The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed in Chongón



The Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE for its Spanish acronym) confirmed that 13 Jan 2015 a Dhruv helicopter crashed in the area of Chongón (located in the southwest of Guayaquil), during a training mission.

After the accident happened, the search and rescue system of the aircraft and its occupants was activated. The crew was rescued and its members did not present medical problems and are currently under medical observation. " The Investigation Board of the accident is being established to determine the cause of the incident," the FAE said in a statement.

Previously, there have been other accidents with Dhruv helicopters in the country. The seven Dhruv brand helicopters were acquired by Ecuador to India in 2008.


The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed in Chongón | Defence blog
 

Neo

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

So this is the fourth crash now?
 

Neo

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

Ecuador loses another Dhruv helo to crash

Gareth Jennings, London and Oliver Shorvon, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
27 January 2015

As the only export customer of the type, Ecuador has now lost four of its seven Dhruv helicopters to accidents. India, which manufactures and also operates the helicopter (pictured), has grounded the Dhruv on several occasions over safety concerns. Source: HAL

The Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana: FAE) lost a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Dhruv utility helicopter to a training accident in late January, the second to be lost this month and the fourth since deliveries began in 2009.

The accident, which is reported to have occurred on 27 January (the Ministry of Defence has yet to confirm it), happened near the town of Tena in the remote interior of the country.

According to the reports, there were no casualties among the four personnel on board.

Ecuador signed the agreement with HAL in 2008 for seven Dhruv helicopters at a cost of USD45 million. These were to be delivered in kit form and assembled in Ecuador, but this plan was later abandoned with the aircraft instead being manufactured in India.

In FAE service the Dhruv is operated by 2211 Combat Squadron, 22 Combat Wing (221 Combat Group), based at Simón Bolivar Airbase.

COMMENT

With this accident, the FAE has lost more than half of its Dhruv fleet in less than five years of operations. The first aircraft was lost on 28 October 2009, the second on 22 February 2014, the third on 13 January 2015, and the most recent reportedly on 27 January 2015. While at least one of these incidents has been attributed to pilot error, a loss rate of close to 60% is significant.

Dhruv crashes have not just been confined to Ecuador, the type's only export customer. India has also suffered multiple losses since introducing the type into service with its armed forces in 2002. Indeed, India has grounded its entire fleet on several occasions following crashes.

Whatever the findings of this latest accident turn out to be, the Dhruv cannot afford many more of these unfortunate incidents if future export sales are not to be adversely affected.

Ecuador loses another Dhruv helo to crash - IHS Jane's 360
 

abingdonboy

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

These guys really need to stop flying these complex machines if they don't know how to do so in a safe manner. This is just pathetic, more than half of their ALH fleet has crashed!
 

abingdonboy

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

COMMENT

With this accident, the FAE has lost more than half of its Dhruv fleet in less than five years of operations. The first aircraft was lost on 28 October 2009, the second on 22 February 2014, the third on 13 January 2015, and the most recent reportedly on 27 January 2015. While at least one of these incidents has been attributed to pilot error, a loss rate of close to 60% is significant.

Dhruv crashes have not just been confined to Ecuador, the type's only export customer. India has also suffered multiple losses since introducing the type into service with its armed forces in 2002. Indeed, India has grounded its entire fleet on several occasions following crashes.

Whatever the findings of this latest accident turn out to be, the Dhruv cannot afford many more of these unfortunate incidents if future export sales are not to be adversely affected.

Ecuador loses another Dhruv helo to crash - IHS Jane's 360
Nepal, Maurtiious , Israel, Surniame and the Maldives all operate the ALH so how is Ecuador the only export customer of this type? Utter lies.


Secondly of the hundreds of ALHs the IAF/IA/IN/ICG/BSF and others operate how many have crashed? Very very few. Aircraft and helicopters crash this is a reality and the fact is most crashes can be attributed to pilot error these days so this pathetic attempt to malign the ALH just doesn't hold any water. The type has an exemplary service record in India.



You couldn't do this with a dangerous/faulty helicopter:

 
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Neo

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

Nepal, Maurtiious , Israel, Surniame and the Maldives all operate the ALH so how is Ecuador the only export customer of this type? Utter lies.


Secondly of the hundreds of ALHs the IAF/IA/IN/ICG/BSF and others operate how many have crashed? Very very few. Aircraft and helicopters crash this is a reality and the fact is most crashes can be attributed to pilot error these days so this pathetic attempt to malign the ALH just doesn't hold any water. The type has an exemplary service record in India.



You couldn't do this with a dangerous/faulty helicopter:

None of the countries you listed above with maybe the exception of Nepal require high altitude operations as Ecuador. Maybe that is the problem.
Out of previous crashes in FAE at least one is traced back to human error.

The Sitapur Lucknow crash last year was due to a technical failure, I believe the 7th crash in India.
Dhruv has been in service since 2002.
 
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karn

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

I remember that there was some issue with Pawan hans that was contracted to maintain the dhruvs for the BSF and CRPF , they were blamed for the crashes .
The army + airforce has lost 4 dhruvs with 2 being pilot errors .
 
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abingdonboy

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

None of the countries you listed above with maybe the exception of Nepal require high altitude operations as Ecuador. Maybe that is the problem.
Out of previous crashes in FAE at least one is traced back to human error.
.
What India doesn't require helos for high altitude operations? Please, India pioneers this role and the ALH was specifically designed to operate in high altitudes.
 

Meriv90

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

I remember that there was some issue with Pawan hans that was contracted to maintain the dhruvs for the BSF and CRPF , they were blamed for the crashes .
The army + airforce has lost 4 dhruvs with 2 being pilot errors .
You crashed 7 Dhruvs plus the 4 of the ecuador, of the 200+ built, comparing (using wikipedia as a source for crashes, but i doubt is correct) 3 AW-139 crashed of the 700+ built.

Incidents and accidents
In November 2005, a Dhruv crash-landed in Andhra Pradesh, causing the entire fleet to be grounded; the subsequent probe found a fault with the helicopter's tail rotor blades, which has since been corrected.[23][24]
On 2 February 2007, during rehearsals prior to Aero India, a HAL Dhruv of the Sarang helicopter display team of the Indian Air Force crashed, killing co-pilot Squadron Leader Priye Sharma and injuring the pilot Wing Commander Vikas Jetley.[118] After being in a coma for almost four years, Vikas Jetley died in January 2011.[119] The helicopter team continued to perform in the air show.[120]
In October 2009, an Ecuadorian Air Force Dhruv flew into the ground near Quito while attempting formation flight with two other helicopters. The remaining six aircraft were grounded during the investigation, which later concluded pilot error to be the cause.[121]
In February 2010, an Indian Air Force Dhruv was forced to make a crash landing after suffering a loss of power while rehearsing for the "Vayu Shakti" air show; both pilots survived.[23]
On 21 April 2011, four army personnel were killed when a Dhruv crashed in north Sikkim. Initial reports pointed to weather as the cause, but a court of inquiry was established to ascertain the exact cause.[122]
On 19 October 2011, an Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Dhruv crashed in north-east India, resulting in the deaths of the three crew on board. Immediately following the crash, the remaining five Dhruvs of the CRPF were grounded.[123]
On 15 January 2012, a BSF Dhruv crashed on the runway at Raipur airport during a test flight, there were no deaths but all five of the crew onboard were injured.[124]
On 22 February 2014, an Ecuadorian Air Force Dhruv often used as a presidential transport crashed in the region of Chimborazo. The pilot Captain Fabian Pazos Narvaez survived, but three military officials were killed. The incident is under investigation.[125][126]
On 25 July 2014, a Indian Air Force Dhruv crashed near Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, India. All seven on board were killed. The incident happened around 5 pm after the helicopter lost the link with both the Bakshi-Ka-Talab (BKT) Air Traffic Control (ATC) as well as the one at Lucknow airport. It had been tracked from the ATC of an air force station in Delhi until evening when suddenly the link with the aircraft was lost. A mayday call from the pilots appeared to highlight a mechanical failure as the cause. The IAF ordered a court of inquiry to establish the cause of the crash.[127]
On 13 January 2015, an Ecuadorian Air Force Dhruv crashed injuring 2 crew members [128]
On 28 January 2015, an Ecuadorian Air Force Dhruv crashed injuring 4 crew members [129]
HAL Dhruv - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

karn

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Re: The Ecuadorian Air Force confirmed that a Dhruv helicopter crashed

You crashed 7 Dhruvs plus the 4 of the ecuador, of the 200+ built, comparing (using wikipedia as a source for crashes, but i doubt is correct) 3 AW-139 crashed of the 700+ built.


HAL Dhruv - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
That wiki article misses about 10 additional AW 139 crashes .
But yes dhruvs 3s should not be crashing as those are the ones with the problems ironed out.
 
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Jaguar_1432

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The Equadorian Air Force has received three of four new Leonardo AW 119 Koala Helicopters. The helicopter will be used for search-and-rescue operations. According to the FAE, the Koalas were aquired using replacement insurance for lost aircraft, namely an Atlas Cheetah fighter that crashed in December 2017 and a Beechcraft T-34C trainer aircraft, that crashed in March 2015.
 

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