20050617011569I

(-23) On June 17, 2005, instructor and pilot privacy data omitted and a student from Palm Beach helicopter school located at lantana airport departed approximately 1445 hours to practice traffic patterns. The Robinson 22 helicopter made a landing in john prince campgrounds in the brush surrounded by water. The helicopter was not submerged in water. No injuries to persons. Helicopter damage found to tail rotor blades due to sudden stoppage. Preliminary inspection for hard landing in accordance with Robinson maintenance manual found no other damage occurred. According to the instructor statement during the last pattern the student was struggling to make correct cyclic inputs at his last 50 feet of the approach. The instructor took the controls to reposition the helicopter about 150 yards downwind of the approach end of runway 15 at a height of 50 feet so the student could focus on the last segment of the approach. With this in mind the instructor took from 15 and turned to close-in left downwind. As they passed over the island at john prince park east of 15 he made a right orbit, as the student told the instructor he had not seen an alligator and thought there may be one on the bank the instructor completed the orbit and was again downwind the helicopter started to lose power and descend. The instructor said he did not want to land downwind so he turned again to the upwind but realized that he would probably fall short of the bank and land in the water so he turned back to the island and made a precautionary landing in the trees with reduced power applied (pilot statement attached). During the interview the pilot stated that the engine was operating when he landed. On June 18, 2005, the helicopter was lifted out of the brush in one piece and taken to the Palm Beach helicopter facility. Maintenance examined the helicopter and performed an engine run, magneto check, compression check and found within limits.