How to break a helicopter.

[JuST Peter]

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/chopersteelrope2

[Skip]

OUCH !!!!!

[Whizz]

How NOT to do it right...expensive stuff-up I'd say!!

[Shiney]

 

[Biggles]

Got to feel for the poor blinking pilot.  He'd be so used to the cable laying down under him, rather than being attached to the top of the tower and following him down in a loop.
The rotor attach points are so strong (as you'd hope) that it's not just a matter of shearing off a rotor and dropping.  It's a matter of all that kinetic energy being transferred to the fuselage with violent consequences.

That event makes it a very expensive Christmas tree!

[Wild Rose]

Just goes to show just how easy accidents happen 

[Skip]

Did anyone notice the guy on the ground grabbing the cable and giving it a flick. That's what put the cable into the rotor. The pilot was doing fine on his own. 

[Biggles]

Did anyone notice the guy on the ground grabbing the cable and giving it a flick. That's what put the cable into the rotor. The pilot was doing fine on his own. 

Nope- didn't happen that way.  Pilot error- sorry for him.



No guy on the ground had contact with the cable.
That frame is at 34 seconds.  Contact was made at 35 seconds.

[Pocket STocker]

Umm that could be fixed with some sticky tape, couldn't it 



Pockey 

[Sicman]

I saw it too Skip. It is at 1 Min 45. The guy under the copter reaches up and jerks the cable which makes it taut just in time for the rotor blade to catch it.
He is gunna be in big DooDoo

[Biggles]

I saw it too Skip. It is at 1 Min 45. The guy under the copter reaches up and jerks the cable which makes it taut just in time for the rotor blade to catch it.
He is gunna be in big DooDoo

Ah yes- that's from a different camera angle- you don't see him in the first take.  I didn't even realise the replay was from a different angle.  His grabbing the cable definitely pulled it into the rotor.
Pilot exonerated by video ref.
The culprit was extremely lucky not to be taken out by the rotor.  He was knocked to the ground but was quickly up on his feet.

[Sabie]

Obviously not trained in ground operations around aircraft. I remember seeing this video on my aircraft crew course.

[Skip]

I saw it too Skip. It is at 1 Min 45. The guy under the copter reaches up and jerks the cable which makes it taut just in time for the rotor blade to catch it.
He is gunna be in big DooDoo

Ah yes- that's from a different camera angle- you don't see him in the first take.  I didn't even realise the replay was from a different angle.  His grabbing the cable definitely pulled it into the rotor.
Pilot exonerated by video ref.
The culprit was extremely lucky not to be taken out by the rotor.  He was knocked to the ground but was quickly up on his feet.

 

[JuST Peter]

Did anyone notice the guy on the ground grabbing the cable and giving it a flick. That's what put the cable into the rotor. The pilot was doing fine on his own. 

I think you're right Skip, just at the last minute he pulls it tight straight into the rotors

[Bluey]

Did anyone notice the guy on the ground grabbing the cable and giving it a flick. That's what put the cable into the rotor. The pilot was doing fine on his own. 

I think you're right Skip, just at the last minute he pulls it tight straight into the rotors

I agree - the twit on the ground pulls it taught. Wasn't much room for error in any case. Risky, to say the least....

[Biggles]

The pilot has the capability to drop the cable.  It obviously didn't occur to him to be a useful option after lowering the tower in this case.