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Video: Helicopter crashes while installing Christmas tree in New Zealand
There are always a few injuries sustained while setting up a Christmas tree, but this one takes the cake. A helicopter in Auckland, New Zealand clipped a large structure and crashed while helping set up a large Christmas tree yesterday. According to NYC Aviation, the pilot sustained minor injuries and there is "no word on the condition of the tree."
Filed under: Video
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Brandin Erickson Nov 23rd 2011 2:58PM
does anyone else see the cable fall into the blades?
kris Nov 23rd 2011 3:09PM
Definitely saw the cable come from the top middle of the screen.. not the pilot's error.
Racerx009 Nov 23rd 2011 3:44PM
Good eye and wonder if they caught that also instead of blaming the pilot
chris Nov 23rd 2011 3:57PM
I would love to know why they felt the need to use a helocopter to install a tree? It was clearly not a good idea. If a helo was truely needed I would question the location of the tree then. Oh well it was a cool video. I guess the cable operator thought it would be a nice prank to drop it into the blades. Ha ha april fools oh wait that was not supposed to happen.
a Nov 23rd 2011 4:11PM
Cable into the rotor wont cause this "jerk" - snap in two action. How do I know ? I built the best helicopters there are. Somewhere off screen the main rotor struck something solid. More than pilot error. If you notice the pilot wasn't looking all around. You can't bring a helicopter that close to structures, cables, riggings, buildings, etc. Bring the tree in on a truck, ok ?....Al-
G-Engineer Nov 23rd 2011 4:56PM
Actually, A's reply is incorrect. If he really were a licensed engineer and builds the best helicopters there are, he would know that the cable falling into the rotor system would not cause the bouncing jerk that we saw. However, what it WOULD cause would be one or more of the rotor blades to be severely damaged and/or break off, as this model of heli only has very small plastic composite blades. This would lead to a very severe out of balance condition, and go on to cause the snapping jerking that we all saw in this video. You can actually see the rotor mast oscillating at a rather tremendous rate. This in turn was what caused the rest of the helicopter to disintegrate, shaking it so violently that the tail boom and its drive broke off.
James A Nov 23rd 2011 6:12PM
I looked at the video many times. You can see the cable, which looks more like a rope dangling near the metal structure. I seems to blow with the downdraft of the helicopter. I can’t really tell if it hit the blades or not but it is still dangling after the crash. The way its moving after the crash makes it appear to be a rope and not a cable. I agree that they are all very lucky to make it through the crash ok.
MONTE Nov 28th 2011 3:17PM
You can see whats left if the cable blowing in the wind on the left side at the :28 second mark
The Burns Nov 23rd 2011 3:03PM
Man.... did you see how violently that shook him in his seat? I had to watch it two or three times before I realized it.
Thank God he's ok. He probably felt like someone threw him into a blender!
ffjsb Nov 23rd 2011 6:39PM
Looks like the the seat actually broke from the vibration.
Kristen Nov 23rd 2011 3:16PM
my heart stopped when I saw this! Thank God he is alive. What saved him was his seat belt!
LEONARDO Nov 23rd 2011 5:28PM
THE MAN IS ALIVE BECAUSE OF ONE THING...
THE BLOOD OF JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE'S NOTHING MORE PEOPLE...
Racerx009 Nov 23rd 2011 3:44PM
Good eye on that cable !!! They were very lucky to walk away.
m Nov 23rd 2011 5:52PM
I enjoy sliced cheese
fatehy hamed Nov 24th 2011 7:25AM
Praise God for the safety of the pilot to return to his family
joe Nov 23rd 2011 4:01PM
so after watching it the story has it wrong then. He didn't "clip" the structure. The cable hanging went into the blades. I wonder who will be blamed for it. Don't know if they have OHSA in New Zealand.
fatehy hamed Nov 23rd 2011 4:07PM
Praise God for the safety of the pilot to return to his family
carllito12 Nov 25th 2011 6:15PM
stop trollin
teltech543 Nov 23rd 2011 4:53PM
Excellent footage. Must have been a pro.
Bill Nov 23rd 2011 10:33PM
They are all very lucky the blades stayed intact. It appears the main rotor assembly snapped free of the turbine. Flying metal and composite can take off heads..