“...Its is good to see something this definitive is out there, clearing his reputation.” [pfflier, post 61]
NASA fell victim to a couple “wrong turns” in engineering development. Always possible in such programs: in the 1960s, they were forced to work at the cutting edge of technology under severe time constraints and under a microscope, subject to scrutiny both from political leaders and the public at large. Sticking to schedules and budgets under such conditions isn’t an exact science.
In the early 1960s, I recall the fiance of a childhood friend’s older sister deciding to leave NASA - lack of confidence in their engineering approach and leadership.
What is not in doubt: the safety risks attendant to ground operations around helicopters. Rotors generate dangerously large static-charge buildups simply by spinning. As a matter of safety, no one should touch any landing helicopter before it touches the ground, or (while hovering) allows a dangling cable to contact the earth (or water) first.