AKL Helicopter crash while installing Christmas tree

[richie9x]

Some dramatic footage of a helicopter crash on the Auckland waterfront today. Looks like the pilot was lucky to avoid serious injury.

Helicopter Crash On Auckland Viaduct Basin Christmas... | Stuff.co.nz

[url]http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/helicopter-goes-down-in-viaduct-harbour-4560847
[/URL]

 

[simongr]

Wow - almost looks like the helicopter just fell apart...

 

[serfty]

"Witness Jason Aarsen said the helicopter was using a cable to erect a ladder. As the helicopter came down the cable went slack and the rear rotor blade clipped it."

Ouch ...

 

[harvyk]

As a friend of mine put it "the man with world's brownest trousers is..."
I'd say those on the ground where also lucky to avoid injury, even if a heli doesn't land on you, you'd still have the problem of roters moving (and potentially bits breaking off) at high speed...

 

[straitman]

As a friend of mine put it "the man with world's brownest trousers is..."
I'd say those on the ground where also lucky to avoid injury, even if a heli doesn't land on you, you'd still have the problem of roters moving (and potentially bits breaking off) at high speed...

Agreed.

The luckiest person appears to be the guy running along the fence line on the outside. How he did not get hit we'll never know.

 

[richie9x]

There is also a video from the other side
VIDEO: Auckland chopper crash - full video - National - Video - 3 News

Looks like some of the guys on the ground were very close to it.

 

[straitman]

There is also a video from the other side
VIDEO: Auckland chopper crash - full video - National - Video - 3 News

Looks like some of the guys on the ground were very close to it.

That's a good bit of footage. Unfortunately the vital bit at the point of clipping the wire is missing.

 

[richie9x]

That's a good bit of footage. Unfortunately the vital bit at the point of clipping the wire is missing.

That clip has two different camera angles from two different cameras. The first close up. It looks like the first camera man moved his camera back just before it hit the cable.

The second shot starts at about the 3 minute mark. You can see the cable blow around a bit then around 3:40 you can hear what sounds like the helicopter hit the cable and then see it crash.

 

[oz_mark]

The actions of a rigger pulling on a line is being blamed.

A rigger at the centre of a dramatic helicopter crash on Auckland's Viaduct Harbour is defending his role in the incident.


A preliminary Civil Aviation Authority report into the crash on November 23 said massive out of balance forces tore through the helicopter after it struck a lifting line

Rigger defends role in Viaduct helicopter crash | NATIONAL News


and looking at the video again knowing that, you can see where the line is tightened and down the chopper comes.