Destin Sandlin Straps Himself Into a Falling Helicopter to Prove Neil deGrasse Tyson Wrong

Smarter Every Day host Destin Sandlin recently strapped himself into a falling helicopter to prove Neil deGrasse Tyson wrong. In a tweet to comedian Chuck Nice, Dr. Tyson said that, “A helicopter whose engine fails is a brick.”

@chucknicecomic FYI: An airplane whose engine fails is a glider. A helicopter whose engine fails is a brick.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) July 20, 2015

Sandlin took issue with the statement, so he worked with Brad Friesen and Gerry Friesen to demonstrate how a helicopter pilot can manage a safe landing after an engine failure using physics.

The episode also includes a video message from Dr. Tyson expressing his great interest in learning how a helicopter could land safely without an engine.