Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
What do you mean by "inherently safer"? If the t/r drive was faulty (if that is what caused this, hopefully initial findings will soon be made public) the accident might have occurred at a slightly different time but would possibly have put the aircraft down in a less fortunate place for those on the ground. Helicopters are designed to operate vertically, btw! The departure flown appears to have followed a certified Category A / Class 1 profile so it should have been as safe as any other.
Presumably he means that had the climb out been more forwards, gaining airspeed, translational lift and a headwind asap there would be less stress on the TR and for a shorter exposure time...