Narrative:

During an orientation flight pursuant to transitioning into a boelkow bo-105 helicopter for a primarily offshore helicopter operator, the flight instructor/check airman asked me to perform a descending turn to the left. As I complied with his request and initiated the maneuver, he made a gruff comment something to the effect of 'I'll show you how to do a descending left turn.' at this moment, he took the flight controls from me without warning and proceeded to perform what might well be described as an aerobatic flight maneuver. I was unable to maintain visual contact with the horizon momentarily, but was able to briefly glance at the flight attitude indicator which went well beyond any normal angle of bank that I had ever experienced at any time in my career. During the time this maneuver was being performed, I felt myself being pushed strongly downward into my seat, noticed the surface spinning below us and that the low rotor RPM horn and light became active. Recovery was completed at approximately 300-400 ft AGL and level flight attained. I was then told by the instructor that in fact this particular aircraft is indeed capable of aerobatic maneuvers, but was asked not to mention the incident to superiors. Since I was apprehensive of repercussions from the flight instructor, I remained silent and hoped to forget about the whole thing until I was informed by a fellow pilot that another similar flight maneuver was also performed during his orientation flight immediately following my own orientation flight in this particular aircraft. We had discussed what had happened amongst ourselves, and decided that it was in our best interest not to mention anything to our superiors, chief pilot or director of operations. In retrospect, I probably should have filed this report somewhat sooner, but I have since gone ahead with filing a report with the company regardless of repercussions, although I do not expect to have any. After all, I did not authority/authorized this type of behavior or action on the flight instructor/check airman's part, nor would I have allowed him to jeopardize my life or the safety of the flight even if he had asked my permission to perform this maneuver, for I would have protested strongly. As a flight instructor myself, I realize that when a stressful set of circumstances presents itself or is introduced into a training situation, then the ability to receive new information is greatly overshadowed by fear and intimidation. Such behavior is not only counter-productive, it is not to be tolerated by any person or company. Companies have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for all of its employees, regardless of their position, and though the company cannot be held completely responsible for the actions of one man, it can do something to prevent incidents such as this from occurring again. The particular instructor involved in this incident had been working for several weeks with little time off, and perhaps stress was a factor to be considered, but that does not justify radical flight maneuvers regardless of what the intent of the instructor giving an orientation flight to any pilot, new or experienced. Perhaps our faith in those people in charge of training is compromised when incidents like this are allowed to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BOELKOW BO105 HELI ON A TRAINING FLT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR IS PUT THROUGH EXTREME, ALMOST AEROBATIC MANEUVERS BY THE INSTRUCTOR.

Narrative: DURING AN ORIENTATION FLT PURSUANT TO TRANSITIONING INTO A BOELKOW BO-105 HELI FOR A PRIMARILY OFFSHORE HELI OPERATOR, THE FLT INSTRUCTOR/CHK AIRMAN ASKED ME TO PERFORM A DSNDING TURN TO THE L. AS I COMPLIED WITH HIS REQUEST AND INITIATED THE MANEUVER, HE MADE A GRUFF COMMENT SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF 'I'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO DO A DSNDING L TURN.' AT THIS MOMENT, HE TOOK THE FLT CTLS FROM ME WITHOUT WARNING AND PROCEEDED TO PERFORM WHAT MIGHT WELL BE DESCRIBED AS AN AEROBATIC FLT MANEUVER. I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE HORIZON MOMENTARILY, BUT WAS ABLE TO BRIEFLY GLANCE AT THE FLT ATTITUDE INDICATOR WHICH WENT WELL BEYOND ANY NORMAL ANGLE OF BANK THAT I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED AT ANY TIME IN MY CAREER. DURING THE TIME THIS MANEUVER WAS BEING PERFORMED, I FELT MYSELF BEING PUSHED STRONGLY DOWNWARD INTO MY SEAT, NOTICED THE SURFACE SPINNING BELOW US AND THAT THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN AND LIGHT BECAME ACTIVE. RECOVERY WAS COMPLETED AT APPROX 300-400 FT AGL AND LEVEL FLT ATTAINED. I WAS THEN TOLD BY THE INSTRUCTOR THAT IN FACT THIS PARTICULAR ACFT IS INDEED CAPABLE OF AEROBATIC MANEUVERS, BUT WAS ASKED NOT TO MENTION THE INCIDENT TO SUPERIORS. SINCE I WAS APPREHENSIVE OF REPERCUSSIONS FROM THE FLT INSTRUCTOR, I REMAINED SILENT AND HOPED TO FORGET ABOUT THE WHOLE THING UNTIL I WAS INFORMED BY A FELLOW PLT THAT ANOTHER SIMILAR FLT MANEUVER WAS ALSO PERFORMED DURING HIS ORIENTATION FLT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING MY OWN ORIENTATION FLT IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. WE HAD DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AMONGST OURSELVES, AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS IN OUR BEST INTEREST NOT TO MENTION ANYTHING TO OUR SUPERIORS, CHIEF PLT OR DIRECTOR OF OPS. IN RETROSPECT, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE FILED THIS RPT SOMEWHAT SOONER, BUT I HAVE SINCE GONE AHEAD WITH FILING A RPT WITH THE COMPANY REGARDLESS OF REPERCUSSIONS, ALTHOUGH I DO NOT EXPECT TO HAVE ANY. AFTER ALL, I DID NOT AUTH THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR OR ACTION ON THE FLT INSTRUCTOR/CHK AIRMAN'S PART, NOR WOULD I HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO JEOPARDIZE MY LIFE OR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT EVEN IF HE HAD ASKED MY PERMISSION TO PERFORM THIS MANEUVER, FOR I WOULD HAVE PROTESTED STRONGLY. AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR MYSELF, I REALIZE THAT WHEN A STRESSFUL SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES PRESENTS ITSELF OR IS INTRODUCED INTO A TRAINING SIT, THEN THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE NEW INFO IS GREATLY OVERSHADOWED BY FEAR AND INTIMIDATION. SUCH BEHAVIOR IS NOT ONLY COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE, IT IS NOT TO BE TOLERATED BY ANY PERSON OR COMPANY. COMPANIES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OF ITS EMPLOYEES, REGARDLESS OF THEIR POS, AND THOUGH THE COMPANY CANNOT BE HELD COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF ONE MAN, IT CAN DO SOMETHING TO PREVENT INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. THE PARTICULAR INSTRUCTOR INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT HAD BEEN WORKING FOR SEVERAL WKS WITH LITTLE TIME OFF, AND PERHAPS STRESS WAS A FACTOR TO BE CONSIDERED, BUT THAT DOES NOT JUSTIFY RADICAL FLT MANEUVERS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE INTENT OF THE INSTRUCTOR GIVING AN ORIENTATION FLT TO ANY PLT, NEW OR EXPERIENCED. PERHAPS OUR FAITH IN THOSE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF TRAINING IS COMPROMISED WHEN INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ARE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.