What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The purpose of the flight was to conduct training for a California highway patrol air operations pilot trainee. The trainee was in the right seat and the instructor in the left seat. After performing a series of emergency procedures at victorville airport, the trainee then flew to Apple Valley Airport. Winds were determined to be calm based on visual observation of smoke south of the field and the wind sock. The trainee utilized a normal approach to the designated landing area for the ramp. The trainee then began to hover-taxi to the concrete parking area at a hover height of approximately 3 feet at a pace comparable to a normal walk. After the helicopter was aligned with the intended parking area, the instructor announced "hovering auto" and the instructor rolled the throttle from the "vol" to the idle position. The trainee abruptly lowered the collective and applied left pedal. The instructor applied up collective as soon as he perceived the downward collective input. The aircraft bounced up and yawed left. The instructor grabbed the cyclic, stopped the yaw, leveled the aircraft, and cushioned the landing with collective application.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT TRAINING FOR A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL AIR OPERATIONS PILOT TRAINEE. THE TRAINEE WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT AND THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE LEFT SEAT. AFTER PERFORMING A SERIES OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AT VICTORVILLE AIRPORT, THE TRAINEE THEN FLEW TO APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT. WINDS WERE DETERMINED TO BE CALM BASED ON VISUAL OBSERVATION OF SMOKE SOUTH OF THE FIELD AND THE WIND SOCK. THE TRAINEE UTILIZED A NORMAL APPROACH TO THE DESIGNATED LANDING AREA FOR THE RAMP. THE TRAINEE THEN BEGAN TO HOVER-TAXI TO THE CONCRETE PARKING AREA AT A HOVER HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET AT A PACE COMPARABLE TO A NORMAL WALK. AFTER THE HELICOPTER WAS ALIGNED WITH THE INTENDED PARKING AREA, THE INSTRUCTOR ANNOUNCED "HOVERING AUTO" AND THE INSTRUCTOR ROLLED THE THROTTLE FROM THE "VOL" TO THE IDLE POSITION. THE TRAINEE ABRUPTLY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED LEFT PEDAL. THE INSTRUCTOR APPLIED UP COLLECTIVE AS SOON AS HE PERCEIVED THE DOWNWARD COLLECTIVE INPUT. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED UP AND YAWED LEFT. THE INSTRUCTOR GRABBED THE CYCLIC, STOPPED THE YAW, LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT, AND CUSHIONED THE LANDING WITH COLLECTIVE APPLICATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.