Kachunk - Loss of cyclic control for no apparent reason. Any ideas?

[enigmatics]

While I was performing a strafing run doing no more than 80-100 km/h with about -10 to -15 degrees pitch suddenly my nose started to pull up with no change in input from me and when I compensated the nose jumped up again causing me to push the stick forward even further. All of a sudden I heard a kachunk and my stick lost all control. Anyone know what may have caused this? I had the pitch, bank and lateral dampeners enabled but they did not cause anything remotely similar earlier.

 

/edit - All targets were static objects, it was a custom made target range. So no enemy fire. Collective was around 40%-50%

Edited May 23, 2009 by enigmatics

[Distiler]

Perhaps you reseted trim? it pushes your nose up to the sky in a second

[PhiXX]

I don't know why your nose pulled up, even if I suspect trim reset. But the lovely kachunk is the sound of colliding rotorblades :D No wonder why you lost control of the cyclic, without blades... :)

[enigmatics]

Nope, no change in inputs. My thumb wasn't anywhere near the trimmer button.

 

I think I figured out the kachunk noise, when the control started going all haywire after a couple dips I though I might be stuck in a vortex so I tried banking to the right and increasing the collective. I probably pulled on the collective too hard and the kachunk sound was the rotors breaking.

 

Still not quite sure why I started dipping, though. I know for sure I had alt-hold disabled. Maybe I left auto hover on but it didn't feel like I was fighting anything through the whole first 2/3rds of the approach. That seems like the most likely candidate anyways.

[enigmatics]

I don't know why your nose pulled up, even if I suspect trim reset. But the lovely kachunk is the sound of colliding rotorblades :D No wonder why you lost control of the cyclic, without blades... :)

Ya beat me to it! :P

 

Weird thing though, I paused right before I crashed and hit F2, rotors looked to be in perfect shape.. I wonder if the shaft can break or the little arms that tilt the blades?

Edited May 23, 2009 by enigmatics

[PhiXX]

also could have been the moment right before the blade flapped up into the other. ^^

I guess the problem was probably either trim reset (strg+t) oder something with you autohover, but hard to find out without a track.

[Feuerfalke]

Ya beat me to it! :P

 

Weird thing though, I paused right before I crashed and hit F2, rotors looked to be in perfect shape.. I wonder if the shaft can break or the little arms that tilt the blades?

 

Bladecrash for sure. Kachunk and immediate falling with total loss of control is a 100% indicator.

 

No matter what caused the pulling up, possibly rotors picking up to wind, accidential AP engaged, forgot to disengage hover accumulating trim error, speed-change, altitude effects, but countering these effects too fast is fatal at any speed and altitude.

[159th_Viper]

Nope, no change in inputs. My thumb wasn't anywhere near the trimmer button....

 

Trim often - for every change in attitude, however small, Trim and then Trim again - Will do wonders for your Rotor Integrity :)

 

And yeah - not to be mistaken for the 'reset trim' input, which you'd be well-advised to delete.