A routine helicopter lesson turned terrifying when a chopper suddenly spun out of control and slammed into a Utah airport runway, sending pieces of the aircraft flying.
Dramatic surveillance footage released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the red Bell 206-L4 helicopter lifting off at Cedar City Regional Airport before the flight quickly goes wrong.
The May 23 training flight involved an instructor and a student when the helicopter began spinning, struck the runway and bounced violently across the pavement before careening off the asphalt.
Despite the frightening crash, both people aboard escaped with only minor injuries.
The helicopter wasn’t nearly as lucky.
Investigators said the aircraft suffered substantial damage, with its tailboom and main rotor system separating during the crash.
The NTSB determined that the instructor lost control of the helicopter while adjusting the aircraft’s engine governor. Investigators said the instructor’s failure to maintain control during that adjustment caused the accident.
Officials found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure before the crash that would have prevented the helicopter from being controlled normally.
Neither the instructor nor the student has been publicly identified.
No additional damage was reported at Cedar City Regional Airport.
The newly released footage captures just how quickly the training flight went from an ordinary takeoff to a violent crash — and how fortunate both people aboard were to walk away with only minor injuries.
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