NH90 crashes into Bracciano Lake during an airshow June 2, 2008

[tigershark]

NH90 crashes into Bracciano Lake during an airshow June 2, 2008
Posted by David Cenciotti in Italian Air Force, Military Aviation.
Tags: Ali sul Lago, Bracciano, Italian Air Force Museum, NH90, Vigna di Valle, Viterbo
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An NH90 helicopter, serialled MM81519 EI-202 of the 1 Gr Sq of the Italian Army based in Viterbo crashed on June 1, in the Bracciano Lake at 15.15L causing the death of Cap. Filippo Fornassi. The other 2 POB (People On Board) were rescued and survived the injuries. The aircraft was at the end of its display in the Ali sul Lago airshow in front of the Italian Air Force Museum, at Vigna di Valle airport. I was attending the show when I saw the helicopter performing a fiesler with an apex at low altitude: as soon as the aircraft’s nose was diving towards the lake, I understood that the pilot could not recover the chopper before touching the water. The aircraft touched the surface of water and broke up in many pieces before ditching. To watch an amateur video of the accident, take a look at the following Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXtGsxxfNT4

I took the following pictures during the accident (images are copyrighted and have a watermark because they can’t be used for any purpose without prior permission).

Link to full story
http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/nh90-crashes-into-bracciano-lake-during-an-airshow/

[MightyHunter]

Bloody hell , that is a Merlin right , just a diffrent name used for the Italian Air Force.

The photos are amazing ,the first picture is amazing the people in that boat must have shit themselves :/

[tigershark]

I thought the same thing when I watch it I wonder if there boat tipped over?  I don't know a lot about helicopter only general stuff is the NH90 a Merlin copy?  I didn't know that interesting.

Do you know a lot about helicopters by the way?  I have some general questions I would like to asked let me know, thanks

[MightyHunter]

I used to be an engineer on Pumas which is the UK /french consortium many moons back , but fire away if you wish to ask anything technical

[Webmaster]

No, it's not a Merlin, nor a Merlin copy.

NH Industries NH90 (Agusta, Eurocopter and Stork Fokker Aerospace)

Crew: 2 pilots
Capacity: 20 troops/12 stretchers
Length: 16.13 m (52 ft 11 in)
Rotor diameter: 16.30 m (53 ft 5¾ in)
Height: 5.23 m (17 ft 2 in)
Empty weight: 5,400 kg (11,900 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 10,600 kg (23,370 lb)
Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01/9 turboshafts, 1,662 kW (2,230 shp) each
(or Powerplant: 2× General Electric T700-T6E turboshafts, 1,577 kW (2,115 shp) each)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHI_NH90

AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin

Crew: 4
Capacity: 24 seated troops or 45 standing troops or 16 stretchers with medics
Length: 74 ft 10 in (22.81 m)
Rotor diameter: 61 ft 0 in (18.59 m)
Height: 21 ft 10 in (6.65 m)
Disc area: 2,992 ft² (271 m²)
Empty weight: 23,150 lb (10,500 kg)
Useful load: 12,000 lb (5,443 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 32,188 lb (15,600 kg)
Powerplant: 3× Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca RTM322-01 turboshafts, 2,312 shp (1,725 kW) each
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EH101

The Merlin is about 1.5 times bigger and heavier than the NH90.

[MightyHunter]

ok , recognition gone bad