Sometimes You Just Have to Say “No”

By CDR Ed Berry, USN (Ret.) / LTM #537

I was slated to be the H2P on a maintenance check ride with the Detachment Officer-in-Charge (OIC) one sunny day in Sigonella, Sicily. As the OIC conducted the brief, he expressed a desire to fly over Mt. Etna. I asked him if he thought that was a particularly good idea, as Etna had recently erupted and smoke was still coming from the volcano. My query was ignored with a look of disdain, and the rest of the briefing went quickly. After a good preflight, we were ready to go when I broke out a chart that showed Etna to be some 10,800 feet high. The chart was also three years old, and the volcano had erupted often in the interim. So being a good copilot, I informed the HAC that we may not be able to fly that high given the density altitude. This information was met with a look of disbelief. So I took out my NATOPS and checked the current conditions to determine our altitude limitations for the day. Lo and behold, we had a Density Altitude limit of 10,300 feet. I gave this information to my HAC and away we went, making a beeline for the volcano.

As we passed through 10,000 feet it was obvious that Mt Etna had grown enormously since our chart was made. We reached 10,300 feet and the HAC told me that it seemed the collective was stuck. I told him that it was, and would remain so, as we were at our Density Altitude limit. We still had a long way to go to get to the top of the volcano.

A discussion ensued: crew members noted that our aircraft was above 10,000 feet without oxygen support, and that our HAC seemed to plan on flying over a hot volcano caldera while we operated way above the limits of the aircraft. If we succeeded in reaching the caldera the change in air density would send us into a boiling lava pool. I also reminded the HAC that my left arm was much stronger than his.

Lifetime Member CDR Ed Berry, USN (Ret.) is coined by NHA Executive Director, CAPT Jim Gillcrist and Chairman, RADM "Dano" FIllion, at the 2021 Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In

As one might imagine, the rest of the flight was uneventful and quiet. Once we got back to the airport and put the helicopter in the hangar, I was subjected to a bit of a tongue lashing.

My retort: “When it comes to NATOPS, there is no ‘you’re right…but…’”

After our respective egos cooled off, we sat down and had a good discussion about what had transpired. I was on my second deployment and realized that, had I been less experienced, I could have made a fatal mistake by saying nothing. Most helicopter operations take place at altitudes much lower than what we’d planned on that day. Density Altitude is not something we often check or discuss. So don’t forget to make sure you include it if you decide to do some orographic flying.

Lifetime Member CDR Ed Berry, USN (Ret.) is coined by NHA Executive Director, CAPT Jim Gillcrist and Chairman, RADM "Dano" FIllion, at the 2021 Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In