Originally Posted by
RVDT
One thing that has been alluded to by Crab in an earlier post is FW clutch slip and re-engagement which has happened more than once on a 206B and sheared the mast clean off on the one in Canada. Maybe in this case the mast twisted, then bent, as it is heavier than a 206B mast, and whirl took the mast and gearbox with it. Just going back through the video it looks like the cabin yaws violently and leaves the tail-boom behind. There was an AS355 that had a clutch slip and re-engagement in the C-Box in the UK many years ago that completely disintegrated in flight and that was with only a C-20 engine. Just another option in the conjecture.
I believe not. Mast Yield would have been obvious at this stage whether engine or transmission related.
On a side note RVDT was that AS355 out of an airfield /tack in Hampshire? Lost a friend in that one.
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Racing track?