Originally Posted by
gulliBell
Yeah, I know. Just saying, if it did fall off. But it is unusual for the tail boom to completely separate at the aft cabin junction. Most of the helicopter crashes into water that I've seen, tail boom or remnants of tail boom remain somewhat still connected by cables or hydraulic lines or whatever. But this is the first high speed crash of an AW139 into water that I've seen (al-be-it photos only).
About tail booms falling off, or otherwise failing to stay where they are supposed to, whilst rotors are turning.
Circa 1982 in Whiting Field, FL, our trainng in Hueys was curtailed for a few days when one of the Hueys, in a hover, lost its tail boom. They put it down, all walked away, nobody dies.
An inspection of the four attachment bolts on all of our squadrion's Hueys was made. Quite a few were corroded to the point of needing to be replaced, and a whole load of bolts were ordered so that, one at a time, our Hueys were brought back up to serviceable condition
(My memory is hazy a few details there, Jack Carson or a few others who flew Hueys in Whiting may recall the details better than I ... we only got part of the story as flight students).
I'll suggests that most "tail boom just left the aircraft" incidents come as a major surprise.
As to drift of parts after impact: yes, I'll take the line gulliBell suggests unitl further detail is provided.