INTHESPOTLIGHT By Chris Hill
Capts. Steve Buhagiar and David Sidorski, Recipients of the 2024 HAI Matthew S. Zuccaro
Land & LIVE Award Two pilots recall the remarkable teamwork that prevented a deadly accident.
O
N SEP. 24, 2022, WHILE INBOUND TO HOUMA–TERREBONNE Airport (KHUM) in Louisiana, Capts. Steve Buhagiar and David Sidorski endured a perilous half hour. The Leonardo AW139 the pilots were flying for Bristow Group suffered an elec- trical fire that melted a collective torque tube, wreaking havoc on the cabin environment, the flight controls, and the heli-
copter’s performance. Both men wondered if they would survive the event. With Sidorski in left seat and Buhagiar in right as captain, the two high-time pilots launched into rapid problem-solving mode, sav- ing themselves and the four passengers on board. I asked them about their experience that day.
ROTOR: Set the stage for us. How did the day of the accident start? Buhagiar: It’s a clear VFR day, late after- noon. We’re seven minutes from the air- port. There’s a burning electrical plastic smell, but everything looks fine. Maybe it’s the air-conditioning? We turn that off. Then, the whole cabin up front fills with smoke immediately. We lose visibility and the aircraft goes out of control.
Capt. Steve Buhagiar
You went double IMC inside your cockpit? Are you coupled up on autopilot and flight director? Buhagiar: Yes. We were at 4,500 inbound, beginning our descent to 500 ft. I had selected Alt A to 500 ft. and asked David to select the modes I needed. When the smoke started pouring in, the rotor rpm went to 83%. The Nr [rotor rpm] was so low the control response was very slippery.
Capt. David Sidorski 28 ROTOR MARCH 2024
At that low an Nr, was there a low- frequency vibration? Sidorski: Not really. The aircraft was pitch- ing up, kind of yawing. I couldn’t see. My eyes are burning, my lungs are burning. It’s all these things at once, [and we’re] hearing low rotor rpm while the engines are screaming up to provide power. We’re thinking, “Why is this happening?”
You have an automated engine- control system on the aircraft, right, and the engines are trying to fix the problem? Buhagiar: Yes, I’m assuming [the aircraft is] trying to get the Nr back to 100.
When describing the initial symptoms, you mentioned what sounded like you were climbing like a bat outta’ hell. Buhagiar: Before that, there was a while where neither David nor I was talking. We’re both in shock. I didn’t know how we were going to survive. I remember think- ing, “I just need to start talking, to start working the situation.” I say, “David, we need to clear the smoke.” That started get- ting us out of shock mode.
Did you remember your smoke and fume elimination procedure? I’m curious about instinct versus procedural recall. Buhagiar: [It was] 100% survival instinct. When you can’t take your hands off the controls and the aircraft’s not responding and you can’t see each other and you can’t breathe, it’s not like, “David, please pull out the QRH [Quick Reference Handbook].” Sidorski: Definitely survival mode. The
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