Video of R44 crash in China

[gulliBell]

Not even 900 horse power of PT6 turbine in that R66 would have saved him. Your only friend here is altitude and airspeed, he had neither. Knowing China as well as I do there will be a face saving excuse, and a chunk of cash laid down for a new one.

[Cutsnake]

There was no wind. The red flag is not flapping until the rotor wash hit it. Before and after it is calm. No ripples on the water,smoke goes straight up. If that is the ocean and not a lake at altitude, they should have had heaps of power at sea level with only 2 ppl on board.
I understand it was some larey sh#t flying but was the high rate of decent no airspeed at the end intentional and the clincher ?

[gulliBell]

No wind? I beg to differ, have a look at the last frame taken from the opposite shore, smoke rising from the burning boat, looks like about 5kts to me at 100' AGL.

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Cutsnake - yes - he put himself in a position where he had lost translational lift (low airspeed) and either intentionally or accidentally established a rate of descent (possibly didn't recognise the descent initially) at this point he will have applied power and either didn't have enough (settling with power due to overpitching) or encountered VRS - both have essentially the same outcome at low level, as he discovered.

[AnFI]

that yaw is a classic way to acheive zero airspeed and hit the VRS ingredients (agree), any attempt at an attitude change would have saved him

[whoateallthepies]

Vortex ring. No doubt. Too low for recovery once he "settled" into it. Cowboy.

[FSXPilot]

Sorry son you've failed your skills test.