This helicopter video makes me tighten that seat belt harness as tight as I can possibly tighten it.
From reading the preliminary accident report, it sounds like the rigger on the ground caused a cockup (as RADU would say) by grabbing the hoist cable, tightening it and changing the geometry into the blade.
You can see where the cable gets picked up by the blades and dragged back into the tail-boom. The rear fuselage then bends and she's all over.
I've also seen the same incident from another camera angle - but couldn't find a link to it
Anyone who has spent much time in helicopters knows that one is flirting with the law of averages and is depending on the so-called "Jesus Nut" to hold everything together. Loss of the tail rotor, which counter-balances that whirling mass of machinery (which by sheer centrifugal force always wants to fly apart) is almost always a recipe for disaster. Helicopter pilots are a breed apart, they are generally masters of their machines, and they know the odds well enough. Not surprised that this guy (the pilot in the video) is ready and willing to get back into a helicopter. His tail rotor survived just long enough to save his life, and now he can reset the counter for the law of averages.
"Strapping in" is a good thing. It can definitely save your life, so tighten up.
Although it did not come into play in this case, if by chance the aircraft is down and in the water, knowing how to properly unstrap and exit while submerged and upside down is also a good thing to know. If your work requires travel in helicopters, make sure your employer provides specific survival training to that effect.
:-O Wendell and I watched that last night...WOW!!! All I can say is I want his Guardian Angel to be my Guardian Angels back-up angel. :angel:
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You can actually fly a helicopter with a tail rotor failure as long as you have forward speed and do a running landing on the skids...the air stream will keep the tail behind you... Would be a hell of a ride though. Last year we had three helicopter mishaps with pilots we use... One had an engine failure and crashed in the trees.... One had a hard landing destroying the helo and receiving a broken arm and one chopped his own tail boom off with the main rotor but walked away.
