http://www.zippyvideos.com/6892116423932506/cougarcrash/

If so... sheeeeeeeeat!

Yep - Ye ole loss of tail rotor drive or pitch control. If that had happened when he had some forward airspeed and some altitude, that should have been an easy run-on landing and walk away. Loosing T/R control on a landing is the worst of all places for it. He’s pulling power into the main rotor system to slow down and flair, so the T/R has to counter for the most main rotor torque. Loose the T/R, and around ya go.
Why he didn’t drop the collective (power/pitch to the main rotor system) when he touched the mains down is beyond me. Why on earth did he pick it back up?! In a ship that stout, he could have just dropped it from 10’ before it really got to spinning and been better off.
Judging from the approach and touchdown speed he may have known he had a T/R issue (in which case he should have pulled the troops in from the doors). Once he felt the mains hit he might have been pulling power/collective thinking he could slow it down. Too much power, and up you go again.
When training, I like to do a full power pull w/o any pedal just to show folks how fast things get to spinning. We keep it off the ground though, of course.

I feel for that one soldier that fell out, that’s for sure.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

Here’s a couple more.
The navy ship lost the T/R on landing.
The News9 guys had plenty of time to go through all the bad words and even make up some new ones. Awesome that they all walked.

http://www.wimp.com/helicoptercrash/

http://www.capitalnews9.com/shared/video/player.asp?destlist=34785

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

In the second clip, whoever was in that helicopter must have been screaming their a$$ off. I would have...

I don’t think the rotor got him, but it sure looks like that gear outrigger did. Ouch.

As a passenger, screaming just pisses off the pilot. You just close your eyes and hold on. The pilot does all he can to find the safest spot to drop it. Or just any spot to drop you, if you keep screaming.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

I recall that crash of the News 4 helicopter here in NYC. I still recall how lucky those fellows were to walk away from that crash. The chances of it setting down on a building and not disintegrating on impact have to be about 1 in a million.

The Eurocopter/Ecureuil AS350 is a pretty solid ship. Not the most pilot friendly fling-wing to fly though. I’m not into their ergonomics or engine management controls at all.
But then - had that been a Bell 206, I don’t think they’d be walking away from it either.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

Maybe he got lucky and didn't get hit by the propeller