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  #25  
Old December 3rd 03, 05:45 AM
Bob
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IN CLARIFICATION TO THE ABOVE:

THAT WAS NOT "DONALD TRUMP'S AGUSTA THAT WAS LOST IN THE ACCIDENT UP IN NEW
JERSEY. THAT AIRCRAFT WAS LEASED THAT DAY FROM PARAMOUNT AVIATION. TRUMP
HAD FIVE (5) OF HIS L A R G E HELICOPTERS SITTING IN THE HANGAR ON THE DAY
THAT THE LEASED AIRCRAFT WAS LOST.

I WAS THE CHIEF INSPECTOR FOR TRUMPS HELICOPTER OPERATIONS AT THE TIME SO
YOU CAN TAKE THIS INFO TO THE BANK. HIS AGUSTA 109 WAS IN MAINTENANCE THAT
DAY AND WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE BLADE THAT FAILED HAD A "FORGING LAP": LEFT IN
THE M/R/B SPAR SINCE MANUFACTURE WHICH CREATED A "STRESS RAISER", EVENTUALLY
A CRACK, AND THE REST IS HISTORY. For the rest of the commenters, now with
many composite blades out there a better record can probably be expected
although no great inspection methods have yet been developed for composites.
Metal blades departed aircraft many many times, hence Sikorsky's "BIM"
indicators on the blade roots. Hundreds of thousands od pounds of
centrifugal force and cracked blades will always present a problem, huh?