9/11 NYPD Helicopter Video Released

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by CCIP

I always wondered whether it might've been possible to land a chopper on top of the buildings to rescue some people in that manner, but well, this answers why that didn't happen.

The amount of convection created by a sizable fire of that sort makes it next to impossible to land a helicopter atop the building, the heat from a fire that size causes insane updrafts and downdrafts that makes it a full time job just to fly very near the building - let alone directly above it.. Additionally, the thick black smoke would substantially reduce visibility in the landing zone.

A helicopter pilot would have likely considered a few variables in his decision to land.

1) The pilot may have considered that the fire department has a chance of controlling the fire, and that by attempting to land his helicopter he risks a crash - and the last thing they needed was another aircraft crashing onto the building

2) Smoke reduced the rooftop visibility substantially, creating an even more hazardous landing zone

3) A helicopter pilot would have likely considered structural integrity of the landing zone, if he thought for a moment that the roof top might not bear the load of his helicopter he wouldnt risk it.

Im sure there were many other considerations, but the bottom line is he decided not to land on the roof, and the number of reasons opposing a landing decision must have obviously been greater than the number of reasons supporting a landing decision.