We should not minimize the terror that the passengers undoubtedly experienced as the helicopter commenced its wild gyrations. They all knew that what was happening wasn't normal and that they were indeed "this close" to meeting their Maker. And if we pilots are being honest, had *we* been sitting in the back, we would have been terrified too.
But you have to at least chuckle at some of the wording in the story. For instance...
"The class members were already in a state of extreme mental and physiological stress."
Physiological? Did they poop their pants? I probably would have!
"The class members remained in a heightened state of arousal the entire flight back given the manner in which the helicopter was flying, noisily and jarringly, at a low altitude, with systems down and on autopilot."
Yeah, that used to happen to me sometimes on the school bus back in junior high. Not that I ever would have admitted it. It's why I wore my shirts untucked all through my teenage years. Oh, those tight trousers - damn those Beatles!
"Kenney said he's been diagnosed with PTSD because of the incident, and he's not able to concentrate as well as he could in the past."
I get that too. Happens to all of us as we get older. Hmm, maybe I could blame it on some traumatic event I had in the past?