Happened to see the video earlier today.My old boss has a similar experience in a Robinson 2 seater he was a passenger in. He and an HVAC contractor were headed to a meeting and the HVAC guy talked him in to flying. Pilot did his preflight, asked my old boss how much he weighed, ran calculations etc. Upon take off the tower told him there was a plane inbound and he would have to wait to use the runway. Pilot advised he would take off to the NW, tower told him to proceed at his own risk. Pilot tells my old boss that he does it this way regularly. They get up in the air and and then the pilot says we are not going to make it, starts flipping switches etc. turns back toward the hanger and according to my old boss they dropped what felt to him like 50 feet to the ground, hard landing. Pilot had time to call the tower and inform of emergency landing. No injuries, fire truck came over. Fire captain was also a helo pilot. He and pilot determined that he just did not have enough power to clear the trees with a 150 pound passenger. The NW takeoff that he had done umpteen times was always solo. The landing gear was damaged (not as severe as video) pilot flew back to the hanger. The drove tot he meeting and were only 10 minutes late.
Not how a hog hunt should end (nobody hurt). Happened in Albany, outside Abilene.