That Christmas Tree crash......

[pchristy]

I know the TV footage was posted a while back, but this is a completely different - and far more dramatic - view of the accident. And in HD too!

The pilot was shaken, but otherwise OK, which is more than can be said for the heli! The cameraman's notes on youtube make interesting reading as well....

Looks like they've disabled embedding - but just click on the "watch on youtube" link......

[rachel]

Unbelivable ,it made my blood run cold , those guys who ran to help the pilot as the engine destroyed it's self should get an award, very brave .

[muscleflex]

that is one cool video!!!!! i want to know what happened to that supervisor who pulled the cable

[Paulo uk]

Boom, skids and blades - minor!

(glad no one was hurt though)

Paul

[Lynx.1677]

Very scary, you could see that cable get nearer and nearer then into the blades!

[Gav]

it's an amazing video but spine shuddering. Very nasty accident thankfully nobody got badly hurt -- PHEW!

[asomaro]

I couldn't see what had caused the crash in the first video - but in this one you can clearly see that the guy on the ground pulled on the cable and it went straight into the blades - wow all of the people there were very lucky to have come out with all their body parts in the right place.

I really surprised that the guy on the ground wasn't yanked up into the air, I bet he had some explaining to do!

[scallybert]

Close Up: Lucky Escape - YouTube has some other views and footage.

[LaurenceGough]

Incredible sight, and how amazing that everyone come out alive! Some lottery tickets were purchased that day...

[BIGUS NIKUS]

Remember the day that story broke, I couldnt beleive my eyes! After looking at all the footage from the various angles is it me or does anyone else think that pilot was a dumb ass for coming in that low and tight?

[pchristy]

Well, the space was tight, but that's the kind of job those machines and pilots are for!

What I hadn't realised from the original footage was that that cable is attached to the bottom of the heli, and appears to go up to the top of the tower. Obviously when it came in to land, it was going to get close to the rotor disc. I assume the guy on the ground was meant to keep it clear, but it looks as if when he tugged it, it whiplashed into the disc.

I guess they won't do that again in a hurry!

[BIGUS NIKUS]

As always, hindsight is a bitch eh!

Well, the space was tight, but that's the kind of job those machines and pilots are for!

What I hadn't realised from the original footage was that that cable is attached to the bottom of the heli, and appears to go up to the top of the tower. Obviously when it came in to land, it was going to get close to the rotor disc. I assume the guy on the ground was meant to keep it clear, but it looks as if when he tugged it, it whiplashed into the disc.

I guess they won't do that again in a hurry!

[trillian]

What I hadn't realised from the original footage was that that cable is attached to the bottom of the heli, and appears to go up to the top of the tower. Obviously when it came in to land, it was going to get close to the rotor disc. I assume the guy on the ground was meant to keep it clear, but it looks as if when he tugged it, it whiplashed into the disc.

I guess they won't do that again in a hurry!

Yeah the guy seems to have pulled down on it when he should have been way over to the side if the goal was to keep it away from the rotor. I was trying to see what caused the boom to break so quickly and I just guess it was the cable being pulled when a blade caught it because the cable is attached under the front of the boom.

It's hard to tell where the cable went, if it pulled out at the tower or pulled out of the helicopter or if it stayed attached.

[Mslater]

Interview - Post Crash