Red Bull Cobra Helicopter Slashes Airport Building With Blades
This helicopter can't fly again anytime soon.
Spectators captured a nasty crash by a helicopter from Red Bull’s impressive fleet of aircraft. The incident on May 24 happened as the chopper was landing and clipped the side of a building. The accident didn’t cause any injuries, but the helicopter incurred serious damage.
Red Bull’s 1954 North American T-28B "Trojan" plane and Bell Cobra TAH-1F helicopter were performing for the annual opening of the suspension bridge in Reutte, Austria. The video below shows some the chopper’s stunts while trailing smoke, including loops and low-level flying.
After these death-defying moves, the helicopter came in for a landing. Just after reaching the ground, the chopper slid towards the hangar, and the blades clipped the building. The crash completely destroyed the rotors, but the craft’s fuselage appeared largely unmarred by the accident.
According to The Mirror, Red Bull Flying Bulls pilot Siegfried "Blacky" Schwarz was flying at the time and described the incident as a “parking mistake.” Schwarz is the flight operations manager and chief pilot of helicopters for the squadron. He’s a former rescue pilot and the only Austrian with a civilian license for helicopter aerobatics. His online profile cites the Cobra as one of his favorite machines in the Red Bull fleet.
The TAH-1F is a modernized version of an attack helicopter dating from the Vietnam War. The example in the Flying Bulls' fleet packs an 1,800-horsepower turbine engine that lets the chopper reach 186 miles per hour (300 kilometers per hour). Its small size makes the aircraft quite agile, too.
The Red Bull Flying Bulls consists of one of the most impressive collection of aircraft imaginable. Highlights include World War 2 era planes like a P-38 Lighning fighter and B-25 bomber. Plus, the crew has a fleet of four demilitarized Fairchild Dornier Alpha Jets – two of which the company bought from the German Luftwaffe.
Source: The Mirror, Johannes Menhard, FailsForFriends, Brandolf85 via YouTube
Gallery: Red Bull Flying Bulls Helicopter Crash
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Audi Crashed The New RS6 During Nürburgring Test
This Rugged Nissan Frontier Is The Ultimate Overland Vehicle
Alpine's Beloved Sports Car Is One Step Closer To America
This Car Salesman Just Noticed One Striking Resemblance Between Dodge Charger And Chrysler Pacifica Minivan: 'I Can't Unsee It'
Laguna Seca Workers Totaled This R34 Nissan Skyline. Now, The Owner Wants Justice (Update)
Man Gets Oil Change At Walmart. Then He Tries To Drive Out Of The Walmart Parking Lot: 'I Never Understand How That Happens'
This Map Details Every Crash On Angeles Crest Highway