“I would suggest the tail rotor control response issue is several orders of magnitude different than that of the 225 shucking the entire main rotor system.”
And I would suggest that it wasn’t just a ‘tail rotor control response’ issue. It was a mechanical failure of the Tail rotor pitch control shaft bearing.
It’s not just the fact you lose control of the Tail rotor but more importantly the forces involved . Imagine the damage done to the TGB and the vibration to the whole assembly if this had happened in the cruise on the way home . Could these forces have led to eventual break up of the TGB due to heat and vibes if sustained ? Leading to loss of the TGB/TRH and blades ? In my opinion in all the instances of this failure the crews and A/C got lucky as they were all on final approach or close to a landing site . Even titling this as an ‘Unexpected Control response’ was underplaying it in my opinion, and I was shocked this was the title of the news flash distributed to N.Sea operators when it happened. Which ever way you want to view it this is a Nasty accident and for a problem that hasn’t gone away. Hums is only as good as the people deciphering it.
But if people want to continue thinking this aircraft is somehow safer than a 225 then carry on ! I fly it every day and I know it’s just another helicopter...