Pilot Error Theory
The principles of energy management are extremely important to a pilot maneuvering a helicopter close to the ground. The term “energy is life” is often used to emphasize the importance of energy management. Energy management is simply an exchange of potential energy and kinetic energy. Simply described as relates a helicopter return-to-target maneuver; potential energy is the energy of altitude while kinetic energy is airspeed. Energy is critical to survival and the safe execution of the maneuver. Helicopter pilots understand that potential and kinetic energy can be exchanged and that the sum of the aircraft energy must be managed to fly a return-to-target, wing-over, hammerhead, or split-s type of manoeuvre successfully.
The Greek pilot flyng in the video simply mismanaged potential and kinetic energy. The maneuver was performed too low to gain enough airspeed during descent for a low power recovery. The maneuver recovery was attempted too late to use power to prevent impact with the surface of the water. No power loss, control failure, or complex aerodynamic theories are necessary to explain the disastrous outcome of this poorly performed manoeuvre.