Robinson Tailboom chops
Years of teaching and examining in Robinsons convinces me that whereas tailboom strikes have undoubtedly occurred due to the low 'g' scenario, and in two cases, probably when the phenomenon was being demonstrated, this is not the main initiator. In my view the sequence is almost invariably- loss of power, "what the hell is that", lowering the collective far too late (if at all) and too slowly. Result - rotor stall, rotor blowback, chop tail off - die. I am further convinced that the main reason for the loss of power (and the lack of evidence) is almost always down to carb icing due to incorrect handling of the carb heat. Under pressure, this aspect of handling seems to be the item that is most neglected, exacerbated by over reliance on the carb heat assist, the governor masking the power loss and the fact that helicopter engines without the benefit of a prop, quit running more suddenly and with less warning. Answer - GET THE LEVER DOWN BLOODY QUICK if it all goes quiet. If you wait to say "O Christ", you can't lower it too quickly.