Chinese Test Helicopter Loses Tail Midair, Two Pilots Survive

A Chinese test helicopter suffered a severe failure on Thursday around 2:00 p.m. in Wujin District, Changzhou, when a low-altitude test flight went wrong and the aircraft lost stability because of a tail malfunction. The helicopter, a Zhonglian F-27 built by Zhonglian Aeronautical Technologies, was captured by witnesses as it plunged into a dangerous state of ground resonance, causing violent shaking that began breaking up the airframe.

According to the footage, the tail section snapped off completely during the attempted landing, and the aircraft continued to disintegrate in the air. The F-27 is a light two-seat helicopter intended for private flights and pilot training, and is marketed in China as one of the cheaper leisure helicopters, with the goal of making light aviation more accessible through relatively low purchase and operating costs.

Despite the dramatic video showing the helicopter being destroyed, no fire broke out at the crash site. The two pilots on board were injured and taken to a local hospital, where their condition was reported as stable and not critical. The aircraft has been classified as destroyed.

Chinese aviation authorities have opened a formal investigation to determine what caused the technical failure that led to the helicopter’s breakup during the test flight.