Initial problem was a cargo door coming off in flight, taking out the tail rotor and 90 degree gear box in a UH-1H Huey.
Basic configuration with the battery in the nose and 5 Grunts on board.
You are correct...AC in the left seat of a slick (UH-1H). And yes, the detent being on the other side.
Army training and the prevalent attitude of the time to fly the machine as far into the accident as possible, meaning do not give up, had a lot to do with the out come.
Also, a few months earlier, a sister unit had a Huey go down with a T/R failure. Just before they crashed, the AC was heard to call out "Hit the flight idle detent!!" a couple of times....Guess it popped up in my mind when the yaw stayed in effect at flight idle.
The cyclic "trigger" switch was two position. First for intercom and second for xmit. Well, three...if you consider off to be a position.
It was a real deal and one I will never forget...along with another action that got me in the crap with the bad guys but ended up with a machine full of holes and a DFC. Need a few beers to get started in on that one though.
By the way, I was 19 years old at the time.
Cheers,
GD