Just found the following video of a “training accident”. Helicopter water landing, training mission, daylight, relatively calm seas (i.e., 3-4 feet), visibility excellent. Note what happened when the rotors hit the water, the speed, violence and resultant helicopter attitude in the water. One fatality, three injuries.

www.ogrish.com/archives/russian_helicopter_crashes_one_killed_May_11_2006.html


Note also, the helicopter seems to have been put down hard in the water. This was an amphibious model Hind. It appears the hull integrity may have been breached and it took on water which resulted in an overload condition and the pilot appears to have been trying to “fly it out” of the water. As with most aircraft accidents, most often it is the cumulative effect of many little mistakes that result in the loss of an aircraft. This may be a classic example.