Crash in Siberia

[HeliStudent]

This crash in Siberia is said to have happened recently -

Mega Epic MIL MI 8M Helicopter Crash in Siberia, only in Russia 2013 - YouTube

I wanted to know in a two pilot helicopter can the captain ask the second pilot to cut the throttles in a situation like this one in order to make the heli spin more slowly?

[Devil 49]

Most definitely.

[SASless]

Looking at the video....he would have to have said it very quickly and the Coey would have had to move pretty much at the speed of light.

The aircraft rolled over almost as quick as it began to rotate.....makes one wonder why?


Here is a better example of how this happens......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggy1CGmEaKs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F2k-GWKW-w

[HeliStudent]

Thanks Devil49.

Looking at the video....he would have to have said it very quickly and the Coey would have had to move pretty much at the speed of light.

I understand but I also saw one video where the copilot had his hand on what I think was the throttle during the take off?

Looking at your other videos SASless it seems as if pilots prefer to put the heli on the ground quickly when it is rotating rather than get up a bit try and slow down the rotation and then try landing again?

[SeaKingDriver]

Absolutely the case. In a tail rotor failure scenario, visual references are lost pretty quickly, if you decide to go up you're just going to be worsening the situation. Plus by applying power you're increasing the torque reaction, and therefore increasing the spin rate.

Safest place is always on the ground!

[HeliStudent]

Thank you SeaKingDriver.

So is it correct to say that a tail rotor failure near the ground or in the hover is one of the worst emergencies that can happen when flying a helicopter?

[DonQuixote23]

It's not great for sure :). But I can think of a lot of things worse. At least you are near the ground standing still so even if the heli might look a bit sad when it has all settled down, probably you are still alive and reasonably well :)

[SASless]

Tail Rotor failure might not be the worse....but it sure ranks right up there for being dramatic sometimes! As in all things....location...timing....all are key to the outcome!

[Ascend Charlie]

The aircraft rolled over almost as quick as it began to rotate.....makes one wonder why?

Perhaps because the tail rotor is set so high above the cg - it is balanced by the forces from the equally high rotor head, but when the T/R lets go, nothing is balancing the force and a roll will happen.

[apb]

Here you are the same video uploaded more than a year ago but you can see a bit more.

MI-8 Crash - Rússia - YouTube