A shocking video shows a helicopter spinning out and crashing with a small plane at a Texas airport. Amazingly, the pilot was unhurt.
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Around 9:30 Sunday morning, the Robinson R44 aircraft lost control while approaching the helicopter garage at Pearland Regional Airport, as revealed by the startling CCTV footage of the incident.
CCTV captures moment helicopter spins out of control and hits another aircraft at Pearland Regional Airport in Houston.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) October 30, 2024
Officials say the Robinson R22 helicopter was taking off from the Pearland Regional Airport around 8:35 a.m on Sunday with just the pilot on board. Brazoria… pic.twitter.com/arXnS1CGiE
The Robinson crashed into a stationary helicopter, causing the propellers to collide with the other aircraft before ultimately breaking off. Once the rotor blades ceased spinning, individuals from the garage hurried to assist the pilot, only to find him emerging completely unharmed, according to The New York Post.
The helicopter crash involved only the pilot, who was the sole occupant at the time. The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, but no medical assistance was necessary.
The Internet Reacts to Video of a Harrowing Helicopter Crash
Of the shocking footage found its way to all corners of the internet, onllokers flooded social media with their thoughts.
“That helicopter stopping on the parked Cessna might’ve saved the pilot’s life – or at least his health,” one person wrote on X. “Without it, the helicopter probably would’ve tipped onto its side, which could’ve been way more dangerous. The pilot got really lucky. A tail rotor malfunction always has serious consequences,” they added.
Meanwhile, another armchair expert assessed why the helicopter crashed in the first place.
“Tail rotor separated,” they wrote. “Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness (LTE): R22 relies heavily on its tail rotor to counteract the main rotor’s torque.If the tail rotor loses effectiveness(due to strong winds, for example), the helicopter can start to spin uncontrollably around its vertical axis,” they further detailed.
However, yet another would be expert disagreed with the diagnosis.
“This is NOT LTE,” they insisted. “Your description of LTE is correct, but LTE occurs with the tail rotor attached. That’s a different emergency procedure than Loss of Tail Rotor Thrust, which is what we see here. He lost his tail rotor in a catastrophic way.”
“There are two types of helicopters in the world: those that have crashed and those that will crash,” another onlooker quipped.
The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the incident.