Firefighting helicopter crashes while collecting water - GIF

[ToolTalkBot]

Firefighting helicopter crashes while collecting water.




Previously:

Helicopter main rotor blade flex - GIF
Helicopter rotor strikes cable and crashes - video
Helicopter shreds tarpaulin - GIF
Linemen working while dangling from a helicopter - GIF
Marine helicopter towing fail - video
Mil V-12 transport helicopter - photo
Pilot with zero experience tries to fly helicopter - GIF
Tractor helicopter - photos

[BuffaloJohn]

Hit the water, that was the cause of the crash. If had not come down so hard - might have not been so hard to recover...

[Frank S]

Like Buffalo John said. the pilot dropped down too rapidly. may have mis judged his distance above the water or whatever. but as soon as his tail rotor touched the water it was all over but the crying. What I don't understand is why the water bag was on such a short line

[albertq]

A classic example of vortex ring state. This happens in helicopters when the rate of decent is higher than 400ft/min with little to no relative forward airspeed. The analogy would be similar to falling down your own downdraft. The quickest way to escape it is moving sideways using cyclic stick to move out of vortex air column into still air, but pilot must recognise symptoms early or there won't be sufficient altitude to recover.