[News] ‘No! That will kill us!” – Pilot rips into helicopter passenger who shockingly reaches for control lever mid-air

A passenger on a recent helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon inexplicably reached up for a control lever during the flight causing the pilot to begin shouting, “No!” that such a move “will kill us.”

 

Cherlin Bijlsma, who recorded the video, was on vacation and traveling to the West Coast when she decided to take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon.

 

The 27-year-old from the Netherlands later posted a TikTok video of the shocking moment during the ride when another passenger, riding up front — reached for the lever, as SWNS reported.

 

The pilot responded by raising his voice at the passenger and saying, “No! No! That will kill us!”

 

Just moments before the passenger seemingly reached to pull the lever, the pilot himself put his hand on the lever — which can clearly be seen in the video.

 

The pilot grabbed the passenger’s wrist and yelled, “No! That will kill us!” (SWNS)

“When the pilot scolded her, I looked at her in between the seats and I saw that she smiled at the pilot,” she said.

However, Bijlsma said the smile seemed “awkward,” and that the pilot and passenger exchanged words — although Bijlsma couldn’t hear what was said.

Bijlsma said the passenger was on the excursion with what appeared to be her daughter, according to SWNS.

“She was apparently about to yank the lever that controls the rotor brake, which stops the all-important propeller from spinning,”
“The problem is that it can only be used on the ground — not hundreds of feet in the air.”

Once the helicopter landed, Bijlsma said she and another passenger thanked the pilot for “saving our lives.”

“The pilot laughed while shaking his head — he said something like, ‘Oh my, oh my,’” she said.

The TikTok video has been viewed over 2.8 million times, with many users responding with questions.