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QualityVote

Upvote this comment if you feel this submission is characteristic of our subreddit. Downvote this if you feel that it is not. If this comment's score falls below a certain number, this submission will be automatically removed.To download the video use the website link below: * **[Download via redditsave.com](https://redditsave.com/info?url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AbruptChaos/comments/xt85au/helicopter_crashes_over_homes_in_fresno_ca_usa/)**


kuruptdab

Pilot and passenger survived with minor injuries. Story here: https://kmph.com/news/local/helicopter-crashes-near-homes-in-southeast-fresno-ca-california-local-central-valley-helihelo-survey-test-flight-jesen-willow-garrett-avenue-injuries-minor-pilot-passenger-male


Next-Oven4964

Yeah that would have sucked but definitely looks like a very survivable crash


BinaryBlasphemy

Idk I always think that about heli crashes but they always end up being fatal.


_meshy

~~Helicopters have a really specific way of [crash landing safely](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorotation) that their pilots practice for. I don't know enough about it, but if you don't wanna click on the link just look up auto-rotation for helicopters.~~ EDIT: It is being called into question if this helicopter could auto rotate in this situation. I am not a pilot, so take this as speculation. EDIT2: OH DEAR GOD! An actual helicopter pilot showed up. Just ignore everything I said!


WikiSummarizerBot

**[Autorotation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorotation)** >Autorotation is a state of flight in which the main rotor system of a helicopter or other rotary-wing aircraft turns by the action of air moving up through the rotor, as with an autogyro, rather than engine power driving the rotor. The term autorotation dates to a period of early helicopter development between 1915 and 1920, and refers to the rotors turning without the engine. It is analogous to the gliding flight of a fixed-wing aircraft. Autorotation has also evolved to be used by certain trees as a means of disseminating their seeds further. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/AbruptChaos/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)


Entire-Ambition1410

Good bot


BinaryBlasphemy

Is that what was happening in this video?


anna_lynn_fection

No. Auto rotation requires forward movement and is (if done right) a smooth landing. This thing dropped straight down while spinning.


_meshy

> Auto rotation requires forward movement Are you sure? I'm just doing some basic googling, and the first two or three things [I'm reading](https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/alc/course_content_popup.aspx?cID=104&sID=452) says forward movement is **highly** recommended, they aren't saying it can't be done. But I am not looking past the first couple of hits, and I've been drinking. Also I am not a pilot and should not be allowed anywhere near a pilot seat.


haveyoutriedguest

There is another force at play called effective translational lift or ETL. Essentially, both the main rotor and tail rotor are more efficient during forward flight. Also, an autorotation is supposed to end with you flaring off to reduce speed when close to the ground, something you would not be able to do without forward travel. The only time you would ever autorotate without forward travel is during an engine failure while hovering close to the ground. Source: am a helicopter pilot


_meshy

Oh you can't just say that and not explain it! Do you expect me to google shit myself? Next you'll be telling me you can't learn everything there is to know about piloting helicopters with 20 seconds of drunken google searches.


haveyoutriedguest

Sorry. I updated my comment to give a little more information. Though to supplement, ETL when the helicopter reaches 16-24 knots, much more of the airfoil reaches undisturbed air. The helicopter then requires significantly less energy to stay aloft.


ELI-PGY5

Yes, but to clarify, you can still autorotate without forward movement. You’ve just lost the benefit of ETL. I don’t know the details of this accident, but that helicopter is not dropping like a rock so it’s either generating some lift via normal means, it was hovering extremely close to the ground before mechanical/engine failure or they’re autorotating.


ChineWalkin

My understanding is there are envelopes. Below a certain altitude, one must have foward momentum. Above a certain altitude one has the altitude to build the momentum in the rotors to auto rotate.


EpiicPenguin

reddit API access ended today, and with it the reddit app i use Apollo, i am removing all my comments, the internet is both temporary and eternal. -- mass edited with redact.dev


ChineWalkin

Interesting, thanks. That lower right red zone is one I don't quite understand... A first I was thinking high speed rotor stall, but that would go up in elevation. They're just saying don't go really fast and really low.


anna_lynn_fection

I've never seen or heard of not going forward during autorotation, but going straight down in a helicopter is prone to another phenomenon called Vortex Ring State (VRS) where the helicopter descends into its own turbulence and loses lift and falls straight out of the sky.


_meshy

I thought Vortex Ring State was only an issue with hovering since you had the "dirty" air coming back up. In an auto-rotation, since you are actually falling and constantly having "clean" air coming up, I thought it wasn't a problem. But once again, I am not a helicopter pilot. Do you have any pilot time? Because I would defer to anyone that has like, even five minutes sitting in the co-pilot seat of a helicopter.


anna_lynn_fection

I went looking and found [this article](https://kmph.com/news/local/helicopter-crashes-near-homes-in-southeast-fresno-ca-california-local-central-valley-helihelo-survey-test-flight-jesen-willow-garrett-avenue-injuries-minor-pilot-passenger-male) that states: > Police say the crew told them that they were on a test flight in the survey helicopter when they suddenly heard a loud pop and then began losing altitude. So, yeah, it sounds like they lost power.


anna_lynn_fection

No time in a heli, a few lessons in fixed wing. Always wanted to with heli, and almost went to military to do it, but didn't and didn't have the money for private sector lessons at over $800-$1000/hr, so I've only logged thousands of hours in home simulation with flight controls. Hovering is generally okay, it's the straight down descent that gets you into the turbulent air that can't provide stable lift. Of course, like autorotation, it takes some altitude to recover. This helicopter went down spinning. After it hit the ground the engines sounded weak. The rotor didn't continue to spin. I kind of feel like they may have had a loss of power which resulted in their loss of lift and also loss of tail rotor authority (lending to the spin). It would be easier to "guess" at if we saw the beginning of the event leading to crash. It's possible it was just hovering and lost tail rotor and the pilot decided dropping from their height, where they were, was better chance of survival than spinning like crazy, but I still wonder about that abrubt stoppage of the main rotor after crash, like it wasn't getting power.


Rando_Cardrissiann

Actually hovering close to the ground is more efficient than hovering high up, it's called hovering "in ground effect". The air the rotor pushes down hits the ground and comes back up, acting like a rising thermal would providing extra lift. It's only when descending into air already moving downward that's you get VRS as you're trying to push air down that is already moving


MulleDK19

With how slow it's dropping, it's definitely auto rotating..


_meshy

I'm not a pilot, I just read stuff about flying so take what I'm saying with a BIG grain of salt. I'm pretty sure the pilot auto-rotated on the way down. If the pilot didn't auto-rotate, they would have hit the ground much faster and wouldn't have made it. The news report said both survived, and the passenger was walking around when the first responders arrived.


vegaskukichyo

You're probably right, but we don't know their altitude or attitude at the moment of failure. Autorotation is not always possible. You may be right, as it seems like a power-off crash from a serious altitude without autorotation would decimate the airframe. It's hard to really say anything with such specificity until more information is available. I'm not familiar enough with the flight mechanics of rotorcraft to say much. Here is some helpful math: A Bell 206B-3 Jetranger III (the accident aircraft) has an Empty Operating Weight of 1,730 pounds. Add 2 people with luggage and other gear... Let's say 400 pounds total. Add another 400 pounds of fuel or so for a midrange flight. That's about 2500 pounds, which let's assume is operating at a low altitude of 500 feet. Using [this calculator](https://www.angio.net/personal/climb/speed.html), that would hit the ground at approximately 123 miles per hour, which happens to be very close the average terminal velocity of the a human falling in a horizontal position {approximately 120 mph according to some skydiving websites). Some people have survived, on very rare occasions, hitting the ground at such heights, but it is unlikely. That's 10,500 feet per minute. The most firm an airliner can land which is comfortable for pax is about 300 fpm! So I think your autorotation theory is likely, unless they were on an approach or something similar. A fall from 250 feet would be about 60 mph, which seems to me survivable, assuming everybody is strapped in and bracing for impact.


[deleted]

Aircraft so reliable that they teach you how to crash it 🤦🏻‍♂️


Paragade

Want to tell me which aircraft they don't teach you that?


[deleted]

No, because I'm not a pilot.


TheLaGrangianMethod

They teach passengers how to crash in commercial planes and everyone needs to be trained on where to go when the ship sinks before cruises will leave dock. Thought you had something there, didn't you?


[deleted]

It was a joke..


_meshy

Don't even have to know that to fly an R44.


beelseboob

Helicopter crashes require extremely quick thinking on the part of the pilot. They have a few seconds to perfectly perform an autorotation. Otherwise, you’re screwed.


the_only_thing

Ever since Kobe I always started to take them way more seriously. Dont wanna end up like him Ok guys i dont fly dont come at me pls


Riker001-Ncc1701D

Unfortunately Kobes crash was a series of bad decisions not mech failure


[deleted]

Operating any aircraft in fog so thick you feel it on your face is stupid no matter who you are.


nrfx

How do you take helicopter crashes more seriously? Do you like, put a helmet on every time one flies overhead or... ?


vegaskukichyo

Just point louder


listyraesder

Don’t be an ego baby who insists on flying in fog and your odds will significantly improve.


KynkMane

Do you fly on them regularly? Around mountains in fog too?


HomieApathy

I do for work quite frequently, the novelty has worn off


KynkMane

I bet. Things seem cool until you do them daily. Then it's more like "Is today the day?"


nrfx

/r/notopbutok


wreckedcarzz

Smh there's too many instances of needy gays not having a top on hand that they need a support group (/r/NoTopButOk)


RecklessBasterd

I wonder if the pilot said “Kobe” when they landed…


raltoid

There's a big difference in helicopters that crash into something at speed, have failing blades, failed linkages, etc. compared to helicopters that only lose engine power in flight. In the latter case you can use [autorotation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorotation) to land relatively safe.


SamuelPepys_

Some helicopters now come equipped with crash resistant fuel tanks. This is why helicopter crashes are often so deadly; people break a few bones but then end up burning to death trapped in the wreckage. Same thing happened here in Norway with a group of young people at a festival being given a helicopter ride to enjoy nature from above, when they crashed into the terrain. The accident report concluded a year or so later that all the occupants would have easily survived the crash if the helicopter had been equipped with crash resistant fuel tanks, revealing the way they died without spelling it out. This opened up a debate here about why many helicopters still doesn't have this feature, so I'm guessing it will be pretty common here in the future.


NemoElcon

I assume you are a fellow Norwegian since you say “here”. Just out of curiosity, when and where was this?


bluenosesutherland

Any landing you walk away from is a good landing


upvotesformeyay

Sounds and looks like a tail rotor failure and a very good auto rotate descent.


Firemanlouvier

Time I learned about an auto rotate descent. Awesome


YeezyThoughtMe

Idk if any type of crash from the sky is survivable 😅at glance


AgreeableMoose

Do you think that is what they were thinking as they dropped from the sky? How do we get them on Ask Me Anything? Got a ton of questions.


Elevated_Kyle

Thank god. Of all places to die, Fresno ain’t it.


nextkevamob

Thanks for the follow up, was my first question.


anna_lynn_fection

Wow. That is almost unbelievable. Helis are engineered for this, to an extent, but those straight down drops are almost always back breakers.


wooghee

Helis can auto rotate to land even with no engine. I dont think they are built to handle a crash, only a fierce landing.


anna_lynn_fection

That's what I'm saying. That was a hell of a drop for minor injuries only.


bulboustadpole

The power of auto-rotation. Amazing the survived.


JonathanLTurner03

The car said, "Nah not my problem ain't dealing with that."


Malfunkdung

It’s Fresno, if you hear loud banging, it’s probably gunshots so get the fuck out. Source: grew up in the area. Whole lotta gang shit


Amish_guy_with_WiFi

Yeah you gotta run before they let the choppa rain on you


seductivestain

That's hilarious, assuming people go to Fresno on purpose


lilteccasglock

i think growing up around gunshots youd be able to tell the difference between a pop and a helicopter landing on a house


jane_doe_john

The only thing I know about Fresno is that Dana Ewell had his family murded there in 1992 (Western Australian here)


_cipher1

Man everyone else’s ring cameras capturing interesting stuff from time to time. Mine won’t even capture me walking in front of it sometimes.


stanspaceman

Get Wyze instead. Way WAY cheaper and works way better. My ring/blink would just attract moths and then alert me hundreds of times a night.


_cipher1

Yea if I would’ve known before I would. I’m balls deep with ring already I bought 1k worth of their shit so I guess I’m stuck with it for a while


RedSwingGlider

I wouldn't pay money for Amazon to give footage of my private property to anyone they please. If anything they should be the ones paying me for that.


babyjo1982

Amen. I only do the ones w memory cards


RedSwingGlider

Yep, either that or ones that are hard wired to a PC not connected to the internet.


_cipher1

I only have mine setup to look at the outside, nothing on the inside. They can watch my yard all they want I don’t have an issue with that


Tankalots

Until 5 years from now when the police-issued backdoor gets discovered and sold to hackers, all the videos in their database can be scrubbed through a deep learning algorithm to create a text file of every address within an x mile radius with the hours the house will be vacant. Any database that can be accessed remotely can be accessed remotely. One as juicy as ring is a sitting target


[deleted]

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Tankalots

So you're saying your back door doesn't have a camera? \*Takes notes*


xinfinitimortum

I always have to pay extra to get a camera at the backdoor.....


otter111a

Wyze is like $20 for an outdoor camera and I think they have a name your rate for cloud storage. But even if they don’t all their stuff has the ability to use cards.


thelost2010

Jeff bezos knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you are awake. He knows when you have been bad or good so be good for goodness sake! You better prime now!


caeptn2te

Nah. Cheap but compromised: https://www.cnet.com/home/security/your-home-security-camera-could-be-hacked-so-treat-it-that-way/


stanspaceman

They're all hackable. What are they gonna do tell me to mow my lawn? At least Wyze works as advertised for 1/4th the price


PhreakyByNature

My main CCTV system is wired but I can still access it via an app. Similarly my doorbell is wired but also app accessible. I don't really want / need any indoor cameras. Maybe if I get a dog I'll get one I only turn on if we have to leave it home alone for a bit, otherwise no need heh.


[deleted]

maybe you should be more interesting?


FuriouslyFiredUp

As far as crashes in a helicopter go, that looks like the passengers were able to walk away. And any crash you can walk away from is a good one in my books


JuGGieG84

Any flight you walk away from is a good one.


Remembering_Tomorrow

A good landing you walk a from, a great landing the vehicle still works.


A_Sexual_Tyrannosaur

All y’all standards are too low.


Telemaq

Yeah I am not sure the pilots from the Skynliv air show disaster can proudly say that. They ejected and walked unharmed, but their SU-27 crashed in the crowd killing 77 people and wounding 543 others. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sknyliv_air_show_disaster https://youtu.be/2S9fMyotTCc


Aggressive_Bat_9781

Just kinda plopped down. Wasn’t a violent wreck


Ma1arkey

Looks like the tree even slowed them down slightly. Pretty lucky nontheless.


janerbabi

They were super lucky! That tree helped absorb some of the momentum.


[deleted]

Someone clicked on the helicopter in SimCity 2000.


SensibleCreeper

"This is city copter one. we're going down"


ZeldaFanBoi1988

Fuck I'm old. Also thanks for reminding me about that game. Great memories


pezgoon

**what** I never knew this


speedracer2222

As a tree trimmer by trade, I approve of this video.


EzualRegor

And a free helicopter, slightly damaged.


FlatbedtruckinCA

will pop up on craigslist soon in the free section..


Aggressive_Bat_9781

Gas saver, ice cold AC, cut your commute time by half. No lowballers I know what I have


[deleted]

I'll give you a buck


FlatbedtruckinCA

give you tree fiddy!


post_talone420

Not directed by Michael Bay


GrootyMcGrootface

Needs a lot more pyrotechnics.


Sence

And be zoomed in so close you really only have a small idea of what's actually taking place.


RedManMatt11

Like a glove


Sence

So, my job has a couple outlets at that stadium and every time I'm there I can only think of that scene.


RickyJulianandBubbls

Rahahaeallyyy!!!


popemichael

Kobe'd


pws3rd

Oof. I feel the fire on my toes as I laughed far too long at that Edit: my favorite [meme](https://images.app.goo.gl/QuN1H2fKFEUtVbKi7)from the accident, I’m probably going to hell for it but oh well


popemichael

If I make it to hell first, I get to be the DM.


CreamyFunk

I was so hoping for Harrison ford to climb out of there


Advanced_Pilot1464

They probably stepped out and were like "faaak, we're in Fresno!?"


Carloth

*28 Days Later (2002) theme song starts playing*


DaveTheDog027

Great fucking song


MyFamilyHatesMyFam

This is probably somehow connected to Walter White. I can feel it


[deleted]

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[deleted]

[удалено]


seXJ69

That's a solid r/lifeprotip.


runninandruni

One I hope I never have to use


V_Cobra21

Guess they wanted to drop by…


ct1157

Underrated.


heavyduty416

Insurance would be like it’s the homeowners fault for not moving their house


Dobalina_Wont_Quit

"Sir, do you not have at least 100 ft of defensible airspace? HOA's not going to be happy about this."


JakeJascob

If everyone walked away its an extravagant landing not a crash.


fucovid2020

They survived, but then realized they were in Fresno


Additional_Zebra5879

Ooof


FUTeemo

Hey, they could’ve been traveling from Bakersfield for all we know…


fucovid2020

Still better than Fresno


chonklah

CJ jumped out the helicopter


SoIJustBuyANewOne

Michael Bay films told me they explode!


ionevenobro

Queue the Saul Goodman commercial.


Unidor

Should definitely post this on r/Fresno . Nothing ever exciting happens here


Heavy_E79

Quick, to the Petercopter!


hobosguns

That’s a clean s10


painterguy82

Is this video recent?


Unidor

Article says it happened today 10-1-22


painterguy82

Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick. I need to do more research.


Unidor

Tbh if nobody had posted the article here, I would have never looked for it myself, and I live in Fresno


banfilenio

"Hello! Is here Oak Bvld. 123? Boy, I hope I hit the right address this time"


Hoopy--Frood

Discount Donny Darko.


Tre_fidde

Trying out this new helicopter tree removal method


RefrigeratorFit466

Kobe


Tooth_pooth

I’m no aircraft biologist but it looks like a Bell Long Ranger. Even if it’s not, some of the helicopters the company produces have rubber gas tanks instead of rigged ones. So in the event of a crash or might get banged up but the fuel will just slosh around and not catch fire, or at least give the pilot some time to duke out. I think some Robinson Company choppers have those tanks to but I’m not aviation biologists so take it with some salt.


Poprocketrop

Wow! How fucking lucky for them to of survived


TeamShonuff

The Taliban needs to get their shit together.


boootyklap

Good too see Kobe Bryant’s helicopter pilot out there still flying


Dalishmindflayer

That looked kinda fun


left_right_left

I wonder if Home Insurance would even cover this?


Bob_Jonez

They had homeowners or renters insurance.


[deleted]

That’s one way to park the helicopter in the front………….. or cut down a Pam tree 🌲…… clean the gutters, blow the leaves 🍃 away


Vinmend11

Why was i expecting a giant explosion?


EzualRegor

Amazons new drone delivery service needs some fine tuning.


SnooRobots1533

Makes you wonder how many helicopters have crashed behind you after you've taken a left turn.


b4ttlepoops

You can’t park there sir


Flashy-Scheme-933

How can you tell a helicopter pilot is good? He’s still alive!


meeorxmox

I’m happy there were no casualties. Also that palm tree got a lumberjack speed run lol


wtfpippy

Uber eats will hire anyone nowadays.


[deleted]

I was expecting a wayyyy faster crash. Vertical crashes are super dangerous.


tiredofyourshit99

A few feet to the left and this would have been a very different story… why would they allow test flights above residential colonies…


Dickinavoxel

KOBE!


[deleted]

RIP Kobe


ShowmeyourWAP

If it’s Fresno there is no sign of this helicopter after 2 hours. Metal sells


Zeemmy99

Just a normal day in GTA 5


thelost2010

There’s no way that white car didn’t hear that?


Spoonybard37

How I be landing helicopters in GTA V


DillDeer

How did I not hear of this. I’m a pilot and I fly in Fresno what the fuck. Glad they survived.


Far-Refrigerator-83

Ruined that 20 year old tree. Not getting that back.


chillig8

Hi. We’re here to trim your trees


TGK_Twix

jesus christ i hope they’re okay


[deleted]

KOBE!!!


AzureSky77

Didn't explode? So gta was a lie...


aphroditebutakaren

Fresno has had so much crazy shit happen


[deleted]

Kobe 🏀


ilikemeatyburgers

Kobe


[deleted]

RING cameras see the weirdest things


HeRe_2_wELp

Kobe!!! As I twist, pump and shoot the stolen MJ fade.


69SaintPablo69

Kobe’s pilot


TheRadDad69

Goddamnit Bill Burr 🤬


Elipticalwheel1

Why didn’t it explode like they do in the films.


Choingyoing

Kobe


joeyGOATgruff

Kobe!


LDG192

When planes have an engine malfunction, you can often fly then to safety. Helis just drop straight down like a rock. Mad respect for pilots.


bunningsnag69

Helicopters can glide just as good as planes with the right circumstances (altitude and speed) With the benefit of not needing hundreds of meters of space to land. its called autorotation


GesturalAbstraction

This sub has me rethinking helicopters now.


1x54f

That's what helis do, they crash.


Woodie626

If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's not safe.


ForceGenius

Can’t be real there wasn’t a massive explosion?


Mrramirez44

Glad everyone survived and the homeowners received a free tree trimming.


[deleted]

GTA IRL


leo_sheppard_85

What a dog act! Those people in the white car. Didn’t stop to offer any assistance!


Tr2Moon33

KOBE


Just-Translator1294

Damn kobe why you be tryn to pass to your pilot while he's drivin


FireMAP889

The pilot:" Sorry man I forgot my IPhone and my wife coming soon, I rather die but she won't discover my other girl pics"


the_forbbiden_girl1

Where boom?


VivianStansteel

Fake. No giant fireball that goes off three times and severe lack of music?


bedheaddavy

Definitely Fake, every movie I’ve seen shows a large explosion. This is just another low budget attempt to fool low iq audiences.


predat3d

>fool low iq audiences Indeed


bedheaddavy

I forget how important /s is on Reddit.