Tail Rotor Failure

[OneHoof]

Wind blowing over the vertical fin in the back keeps the helicopter from spinning if the tail rotor fails as long as you keep 40 to 60 knots of forward airspeed. If you slow too much or try to hover it will spin violently out of control... So, if in forward flight you do a run on landing. This guy did a good job of saving it.

[ripcurl010]

never seen a helicopter land like a plane before

[helobelow]

@ripcurl010 We call that a run on landing.

[juicerooster]

excellent landing. i mean outstanding. ive practiced tail rotor failures before. usually if you keep your airspeed above 40 knots you can maintain directional control. the wind rushing over the airframe keeps it steady. thats why helicopters are tear drop shaped.

[helipilot3333]

Great frickin landing. wow.

[Skywakacaptan]

High Tensile stinger did its job perfictly..

[blood117]

This was filmed on the day i was born

[8literbeater]

damn good landing

[bunker931]

Nice landing, Some pilot would just panic instead of doing correct procedures like this one.

[RocketBurn11]

The tail rotor had failed, he kept airspeed to help track, but procedure is to use throttle and collective with the governor off and let the main blade torque twist the helicopter the way you want. My instructor did it twice in a Huey over Vietnam, on one occasion flying for almost ten minutes without a tail rotor to get out of enemy territory.

[glock21guy]

I think he was tracking straight because he kept his forward speed up. He seemed to be keeping his speed up for that reason, and was also the reason for the fast/hard landing. If he had slowed down he would have spun out of control.

[motokid032]

Weathervaining.

Exactly why he kept his airspeed up.

[Eldelacuchuca]

great video

[odeonprog]

Probably because it slammed into the asphalt. Question is, why?

Sorry, why what? It's an AS 350.

[stefanoheli]

It'a an AS 355 F1 or F2, twin engine helicopter, it lost the right engine cowling...so it hit the tail rotor!!!!

[pf126p]

AS 350 is an Ecureuil.

[motokid032]

@odeonprog

Looks like an AS355.

[pf126p]

Probably because it slammed into the asphalt. Question is, why?

Can't see very well; I can't even tell if I'm looking at an Ecureuil or a JetRanger.

[UnkleSi]

No - tail rotor had already failed before it hit the ground. Pilot did an excellent good job landing it without killing everyone. Very hard to flare without a tail rotor!

[pf126p]

What makes you say that? Are you surmising or do you have more information on the incident? Because from my perspective there is no evidence here of tail rotor failure; he was tracking perfectly straight until touchdown.

[odeonprog]

The tail rotor had failed. A latch on an engine cover failed causing part of the cover to break loose. This struck the tail rotor causing the drive shaft to break.

[pf126p]

@odeonprog You could be right, and the run-on would support that, but I certainly can't tell just by this. If you have a tail number to reference, we can check with the NTSB...

[odeonprog]

@pf126p I know I'm right! It was my boss.

[hedgehogtk]

@odeonprog saying "i know i'm right" is not very productive. it indeed comes a bit too straight for a too long time for a tail rotor failure induced autorotation. also he doesn't even flare at all. a tail number would be very helpful ...

[rotorznwingz]

It was being done correctly!

[8literbeater]

@pf126p That's right, there's no evidence here of a tail rotor failure, other than the propeller shaped thingy on the tail isn't spinning around like the big propeller thingy on top is. Ahh, I crack myself up.

[ppitm]

@pf126p Well there wouldn't be enough torque to overcome the drag of the fuselage if he cut the power, right?

[pf126p]

@ppitm I don't know about "drag of the fuselage" (particularly as a helicopter does not rely on forward airspeed) but upon loss of power you'd switch from a little left pedal to a little right (in a Bell, anyway).

[ppitm]

@pf126p I mean weathervaining.

[jyviens]

very good, you're alive!

[grifon412]

good save !!!