Video: Chopper pilot survives horror crash in Auckland

by Steven Mostyn - Nov 23 2011, 08:57

Although the following crash footage from New Zealand isn’t exactly what you’d call ‘tech news’, we thought it worth reporting from the angle of just how shockingly fragile modern technology can be.

Specifically, the gasp-worthy video clip attached to this piece shows a hovering helicopter crumpling like paper as its unsuspecting pilot attempts to lower a Christmas tree into position for an outdoor display in Auckland.

To the horror of a nearby member of ground crew, the B2 Squirrel suddenly shudders violently and its tail section collapses in such a way that would suggest some kind of massive structural failure.

With the pilot lucky not to be thrown from the open cockpit, and the man on the ground rushing for cover, the helicopter disintegrates in less than a second as its rotors splinter and the main fuselage slams into the ground.

Amazingly, reports suggest that the helicopter’s rapid demise was not due to airframe failure but to the slightest of contact with unseen overhead cables.

Luckily, both pilot and ground crew escaped unscathed—although the pilot is currently being treated in hospital for minor injuries.

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