This helicopter accident was all over the news in Los Angeles.

What the $&*k happened? Interesting textbook example of TRB explosion due to mechanical failure(s)?

Nothing the pilot did, looks like a catastrophic failure of one of the tail-rotor pitch control horns.
I’ve got a couple thousand hours on 222/230/430, our main worry was the tail rotor sitting so close to the ground.
You start in aviation with a big pot of luck, and once in a while fate throws a wild card at you. May you survive until you hang up the DC’s.

I have flown for a living for 43 years, in that time I had three separate occasions where I’ve been offered a helicopter ride. The first time we actually strapped in, fired it up, then immediately shut it down. I was young and didn’t wanna be a pain so I didn’t ask what was wrong. The next two times I was supposed to get a ride 3 days to the day prior the helicopters involved went down with a loss of all souls☹️. Apparently the aviation gods have determined I am only worthy of fixed wing flight.

8GCBC, and by comparison here’s one where the pilot was at fault. After any ding if you still have control, land ASAP (lots of places nearby, not necessarily in the water).
Eventually his dangling tail bits flew up into the rotor. The failsafe co-axial design can only go so far to save pilots from themselves.
https://youtu.be/c4APqQfayzg?si=VoygxL0PaWse4aQ1

Karmutzen wrote:8GCBC, and by comparison here’s one where the pilot was at fault. After any ding if you still have control, land ASAP (lots of places nearby, not necessarily in the water).
Eventually his dangling tail bits flew up into the rotor. The failsafe co-axial design can only go so far to save pilots from themselves.
https://youtu.be/c4APqQfayzg?si=VoygxL0PaWse4aQ1

Thank you Karmutzen for the video. Opinion: Exactly the most horrifying thing the pilot could attemp is to keep the ship airborne. The terrain and water didn’t look too bad.

Lower the collective! Then cut the fuel! He actually had a very good chance to “walk away”.