23 November 2011 - A helicopter pilot is lucky to be alive today ... after his bird went down while attempting to set up a massive Christmas Tree in New Zealand this morning ... and the whole thing was caught on tape.

According to reports, the blades got tangled in some cables ... knocking the chopper into a tailspin ... and then the whole thing came crashing down to the ground.

Miraculously, nobody on the ground was injured.

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