Originally Posted by
A681001
Well, I take it that they where lifting those frames down to the platform on the ''pilot'' side of the tower from the lantern. WHY would a pilot with any sense do this in tailwind?? and with the structure on the opposite side of the helicopter... Looks seriously poorly planned and worse executed. If you'd do this exercise in the opposite direction, I bet there would not be a thread.
As for the smoke. Full screen the video, playback and stop between 0:10-0:12 and you see the smoke is coming from the top halv of the helicopter. There is no parts of the floats up in that area, nitrogen lines or baby powder. So clean cut?! Nope. I bet that during this display, the aircraft had more than one over limit, and no, even a single engine that is being seriously over torqued and over sped, don't just quit and fall out of the sky.
I would put my money on that the white smoke is engine oil which due to the unnatural abrupt motion and attitude has been pushed into the exhaust via the
vent-pipe from the oil reservoir, and that creates a lot of white smoke, and it would be temporary.
It looks like this was an uncontrolled cyclic input for some reason, or more likely a gust of wind from below and behind while attached to the load...
Very lucky recovery and escape by the pilot, very lucky...!