I saw this vid a couple of months ago. Interesting that it's taken a while to get out. When I got the email, it said it was a DDG, but it looks like a FFG to me. I don't know who this is or which coast, even, but they're actually performing the straightening evolution. It looks like the probe either jumped out of the trap, which is that gray box under the helo, or the beams that trap the probe were never closed. Hmmm...I'm realizing this is a mishap, albeit one that's probably been closed out.
Let me just say that there are two cables, one on each side of the tail, and that's what's pulling the helo to the side. That's what causing the twisting motion, and is totally normal. Looks like once the probe came out, the cable just pulled it over. You can see what's probably the OIC run out to try and push it over. Looks like things were salvagable, but then the LSO kept twisting, which sent it back over again. Looks like the sea state wasn't really a concern and from what little you can see of the wake, it wasn't the ship turning, which has happened as well. I've had a bird go sliding over to the edge of the deck and hit the stop because the ship decided to turn and not tell me. Of course the CO was blabbing about the "Superstar of the day" over the 1MC, which shutdown our 1JG circuit, so I couldn't tell the guys on deck to chalk and chain. Finally I just gave the hand signal when they looked at me. Scary stuff.
