What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was giving flight instruction to passenger/student, privacy data omitted including hands on of controls in a hover, approximately 3 feet off the ground, when he let the student have sole control of the cyclic control with himself (the pilot) having sole control of the anti-torque and collective controls. They were facing into the wind and kept that hover position for 15-20 seconds when the pilot noticed the collective was very hard to control. Realizing the collective friction had increased during their hoverwork, the pilot failed to take possession of all the controls before the aircraft's main rotor blade hit the ground and subsequent substantial damage occurred.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO PASSENGER/STUDENT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ INCLUDING HANDS ON OF CONTROLS IN A HOVER, APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET OFF THE GROUND, WHEN HE LET THE STUDENT HAVE SOLE CONTROL OF THE CYCLIC CONTROL WITH HIMSELF (THE PILOT) HAVING SOLE CONTROL OF THE ANTI-TORQUE AND COLLECTIVE CONTROLS. THEY WERE FACING INTO THE WIND AND KEPT THAT HOVER POSITION FOR 15-20 SECONDS WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED THE COLLECTIVE WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL. REALIZING THE COLLECTIVE FRICTION HAD INCREASED DURING THEIR HOVERWORK, THE PILOT FAILED TO TAKE POSSESSION OF ALL THE CONTROLS BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN ROTOR BLADE HIT THE GROUND AND SUBSEQUENT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OCCURRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.