Helicopter crash ...

[ray66v]

He wasn't intending to land. Sling cable would not release. Here is another view...
Telecom Tree Helicopter Crash - YouTube

Wrooster

So, he was lowering the cable down so someone could unhook it from the bottom of the chopper, and he clipped it?

I guess that makes sense. But, the tower is about as high as the cable is long; not a good plan.

This reminds me of the tow a boat with a helicopter video, same outcome. http://youtu.be/C4_13xYlgfY

 

[wrooster]

Ahh, things look different in that angle for sure.

I don't think that the pilot actually hit anything. What happened was that the sling cable/rope, once it was slack enough, blew up into the rotor path from the rotor wash against the ground. After that, well, as they say -- hold on!

Wrooster

 

[blueriver]

Either way its a pretty darn good video ... I'd bet that one guy had to change his pants.

 

[Artisan]

Here is another angle.

 

[garren]

And yet another camera view....

At 2:42 - I seriously thought he was gonna crash in that lawn chair too

New Zealand helicopter crash (5 min Full Video) - YouTube

 

[Jim Shooz]

He was erecting that tower to be used as a Christmas tree. As he was descending one of the workers grabs the loop in the cable near the ground to flick it lose from the hook underneath. But it didn't release and the other length of the cable flicked out into the rotor. On this clip, at about 5 seconds you can see him just to the right of the second guy in the floro jacket.


Auckland Helicopter Crash, November 23rd 2011 - YouTube

(They usually use a crane to put the tower up but now the only bridge into that area is not strong enough so they went for the helicopter option)
( The guy that flicks the cable is the main contractor for the job)

 

[irvingj]

Thanks, Jim- good analysis. I was thinking he must have hit the cable used to hoist the tower. Darn shame. Glad the pilot came out of it all right.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Competent pilot with 1000s of hours. Large part of their business is flying hunting parties into bush clearings so was well within his level of experience. He was partially thrown out of the cockpit but was held back in by his seatbelt. Plans to be back flying next week after going fishing this weekend.

 

[Henri88]

I suspect a faulty hook. These helicopters are equip with hooks for lifting and they have to be release by the pilot via a cable. My son is an aircraft technician working for a helicopter company and he did a 500hrs service job in my shop this summer. Here's a couple of pictures of the hook. The first one you see it underneath the heli. the second pics. it is standing on the table on the left of the pic. You can see the same hook on that helicopter.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Further to The pilot didn't loose his sense of humour. In a press interview later he described the accident as "a Bugger Moment". So you guys can understand what he was talking about here's a link to the Toyota TV commercial that he is referring to:

Toyota bugger - YouTube

Of course it's farming related.