Tr,
In which case you would probably be at (and likely to keep?) a low power/low torque setting. Unlikely to increase power to any great extent until the bottom of the approach? (I would guess one minute out would be about one mile, and therefore about 3-400'?)
Ergo, very little torque demanded? Very little tail rotor authority required, a bit like your 40kts example.
I thought you meant they were continuing the flight profile towards base with the tail problem, intending to go straight in.
They may well have been slow, perhaps at a speed that would cause the ac to spin (appear to tumble) and if you can't get forward speed on then you are looking at twist grips.
Although we haven't heard that it was in the hover, neither have we heard that it was in forward flight. All I've read/heard in reference to flight phase is tumbling, which could be a spin in the hover or spin in forward flight. I think it's agreed that 'tumbling' wasn't the actual condition.
Perhaps continued, controlled flight wasn't possible, leaving autorotation into the city the only option.
Tail rotor failure in OGI hover is the only regime I can imagine that would require such extreme action,
Agreed, however where is the line between HOGE and forward flight?
How about they were at 1,000' descending 500'/min @ 70kts, pre landers and the tail goes?