Hello,
Just a quick question...Does this airplane have a mechanical or a digital back-up horizon? Just kind a curious if in the case of the Skyway bird, if they lost the back-up ADI? I was under the impression that this instrument is powered by an independent power source (It's own DC battery) that will provide 30 minutes of reliable information.
In the Navy we always briefed a total electrical failure on every flight, and the aircrewman (Moi) would get in the gunner's belt and shine my "el cheapo" plastic flashlight on the HAC's ADI, which may or may not be spinning down due to an interruption in power. This was in the older, all analog H-2. Conversly, in the H-60, this scenario was less likely due to the redundancy built into the aircraft, with the exception of the DDU all components are independent.
In retrospect, it is amazing how many failures or scenarios are called "impossible" by the engineers, yet still manage to find a way...Recall the Eastern L-1011 that had all three engines nearly run out of oil because of a .10 cent O-ring not being replaced on the accesory section drive chip detector... HAd a bit of the same happen to me in an H-60 with not nearly as uneventful an ending...In the words of Ernest K. Gann "Fate is the Hunter"
Regards and remember...When you least expect it, expect it
ex-Navy rotorhead