Chopper accident at Fiji resort, passengers survive

[Woxof38]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.2712966

[looproll]

wow, that happened fast! Can any chopper wranglers explain what the hell may have happened there? Things were looking so good until the end!

[GyvAir]

According to this report, it was caused by a sudden strong gust of wind.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-paci ... ard-escape

[Heliian]

From the whitecaps in the background, it's windy. It looks like a tail wind. The pilot tried to recover with coordinated inputs but did not have enough space to regain control. Luckily all survived.

[Baja Guy]

A tornado sized gust of wind wouldn't cause a machine to launch like that. A very speculative but plausible scenario would be the purse strap or camera strap belonging to the front seat pax was inadvertently wrapped around the collective. Said pax raises the purse/camera rapidly, and the AStar along with it.
But, again, only a plausible explanation.

[GyvAir]

the purse strap or camera strap belonging to the front seat pax was inadvertently wrapped around the collective. Said pax raises the purse/camera rapidly, and the AStar along with it.

Wouldn't that just cause it to rise more or less straight up? It initially pitches way forward with the front of the skids remaining on the pad before moving forward and then finally rising a bit.
My first thought was similar though.. wondered if a passenger managed to shove the cyclic out of the pilot's hand somehow, twisting around for a better selfie or something.

[Baja Guy]

That is a good point, rapid nose down/tail up before the launch. I just can't see it happening from even a moderate tail wind. Maybe if he was touching down, tail into wind, on some steep mountain ridge line, I could understand; but som beach, som where....(pun intended). Thank goodness all are okay.