TC, the audio in that film clip indicates USS Cushing, which was a LAMPS MK III capable ship in 2002 when that accident happened.
(I am pretty sure my log book indicates a few landings on that ship when it was in the PAC fleet ... but it's been a while).
The up the backside approach was designed in the early 1980's for the RAST/BEARTRAP crapola that the USN decided was needed for recovery on rough seas.
I preferred the 30 degree offset approach from LAMPS MK I, but that's no matter.
Good friend of mine was in a hover, about to put a LAMPS MK III (SH-60B) onto a ship via that silly RAST thing when his TR let go. At night.
He just got away from the ship, then chopped throttles (CP did that) and spalshed it in wet. All over very quickly. All swam out. HEEDS was helpful to all.
The approach wasn't the problem in this case. it appears to me that the approach had stopped/paused over the NATO SeaSparrow/SeaChicken launcher aft of the flight deck. The usual method was to keep the relative motion > 0 until over the spot, however, carrier folks weren't as used to those approaches as LAMPS folks.
The H-3 in that video is in dirty air coming into the spot, and IMO not being a LAMPS guy was coming in at too low of an angle, technique wise, in terms of angle measured from the vertical. (My perception of that might be due to the video angle of the camera, so I may not be right about that).
Typical Carrier based habit for an on board ship landing.
Beyond that, SASless is right, even if he is an Army guy.
If the tail lets go there, it's a worst case scenario; you ain't flying that one away, dump the collective and stay dry.
Uncle will get a new bird.
Back in the day, our 30 degree offset kept you clear of the ship until over the deck, but that's an ax to grind that does nobody any good, since RAST was this magical fkucing thing ... never mind me, just a curmudgeon here, grumbling into his beer.
As to your "European Approach" crap, bollocks to it being "better." Did it a few times in a NATO ex due to STANAGS and HOSTAC rules.
Going into a HOGE hover next to the ship and sliding actually increases some risks, although if the tail lets go before the slide, cut gun into the water and Robert's your mother's brother. Yeah.
If it lets go as you slide over the deck you get into the same pickle that Sea King guy did. Momentum is a thing.
Last edited by Lonewolf_50; 3rd November 2018 at 19:04.