wrote:
IMHO you can clearly see significant main rotor coning
on it's accelerated descent.
A clear indication for loss of rpm.

Looking at the vessel being tossed around by the waves just before
the final crash,
it is scary to see, how close the main rotor blades are getting to the
water surface.
So I could understand the pilots decision under pressure, to give it a
try to get away,
if he should not have seen any indication of a technical fault, after
rpm has recovered.
But this is PURE SPECULATION from my side.


Just speculation on my part as well. Having never experienced settling
with power or even seen it, this looks like what settling with power
might look like when the pilot did not have sufficient power to pull out
of it.

--

boB
Wing 70

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)